Dragon's Harpy
by ashNfeathers
Summary: 'The Brightest Witch of Her Age' is now a full grown, beautiful and successful Auror. Life is grand. Except for that little problem of where she longs to rip the throats out of her enemies and sprouts wings. **AU/OOC/WIP**
1. Chapter 1

**I'm actually doing it. I'm writing Harry Potter fanfiction. HOLD ME!**

***ahem*** Thank you all for coming! And now, the preliminaries:

I want to be very clear, this is AU (that's Alternate Universe, kiddies) which means that the characters are going to be OOC (aka Out of Character). If you are expecting hardcore, strictly cannon portrayals where it practically oozes JK's brilliance….You won't find that here. Have no fear; there shall be brilliance, but of a humble variety.

But seriously now – it's _Dramoine_. We're already breaking the rules aren't we?

While we are at it, the story is un-Beta'd and is still a WIP (_psssst_ – that means Work In Progress), so I'm not sure what dark and dangerous path this will lead. If you don't enjoy your stay, don't set my baby forest ablaze with your flames, capisce?

I'm borrowing my Harpy characterizations/concepts from Gena Showalters' (schmexy) Lords of the Underworld series.

And to add to the final list of sins/disclaimers/information: I live in the United States, so I won't purposely murder the proper 'English', I promise. Mucho respect for all your nifty colloquialisms! I will refrain from all attempts at awkward 'Blimeys' and 'Bloodys' that we North Americans tend to get carried away with.

**Formal Disclaimer: Gena and JK own their characters/ideas, I just smooshed their faces together and said 'now kiss.'**

***Author's Note adjourned.***

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**Chapter One – The Ravens**

Hermoine flexed her fingers, brushing against her wand tucked safely in her thigh holster. Crouched low, she glanced right and met the laser focused jade green eyes of her best friend. Hand signaling that she was moving forward; he gave a quick, single nod of understanding and moved to cover her flank.

Her swift movements in the dark didn't make a sound as she watched the cave's entrance. They had been scouting the area for weeks based on the rumor that some desperate Death Eaters were attempting to gather resources.

Turns out the unfortunate rumors were true. Her brown eyes narrowed as she watched the group of cloaked figures furtively gathering. A slow simmering rage built within her and she clenched her teeth in an effort to get herself under control. Ever since the war, her brilliant mind with thoughts of anger and violence, whispering to her to punish those that had wronged her over something as silly as birthrights.

It was a primal need annihilate the beings that dared to leave evidence of their hatred forever carved into her skin.

She took another calming breath. In, out. Slow and steady.

She knew that if she didn't attempt to appease those sinister whispers, it would manifest itself into something horrible and the Hermoine everyone knew would cease to exist. She had to find a safe, constructive outlet for this almost instinctive drive. When she became an Auror, it shocked everyone. She didn't return to complete her final year and instead followed Harry and Ron to complete the rigorous training.

The demands on her mind and body that being an Auror provided seemed to keep her demons at bay and as usual, she excelled. Hermoine and Harry, along with the other two members of their unit, were an unstoppable team. Their skills legendary and only called upon for the most dangerous cases.

The Daily Prophet even gave them a name for their more public exploits, The Ravens. Which she had to genuinely appreciate when one considered that a group of raven's is called a 'murder.' Sensational journalism at its blood thirsty finest. They had stopped reporting on her non-existent love life and instead focused on their success rate.

How could she honestly be a healer, professor, or heaven forbid, a desk worker in the Ministry when she knew her explosive potential? It was much too dangerous.

Especially since lately, the feelings had increased exponentially. Sinking its lethal claws into her brain and haunting her dreams, making her push herself even harder during her waking hours. It was a vicious cycle that she had to constantly be aware of and control.

She told no one, there was so much to do in the aftermath of the war that she was able to slip through the cracks as they focused on rebuilding and apprehending the leftovers of Voldemort's minions. She wasn't always successful though, sometimes she was a little too brutal in her duels and her obvious lack of remorse afterwards sometimes set off red flags with her team mates.

That's when Harry would give her his penetrating looks of concern and she would give him a small smile of false assurance. And bless Harry, he never pushed.

A small shuffling noise to her left snapped her back to attention. Tensing to attack, she saw the familiar blazing red hair barely covered by a black skull-cap.

She hissed in frustration, Ron could never learn the art of being quiet. While he was fantastic at strategy and frontline offensive tactics, he was absolutely horrible at stealth. Harry used to joke that Ron could manage to make noise in a sound proof room.

It was funny because it was true. Ron failed that exercise beautifully. Three times.

His partner however, was gracefully moving through the trees with nary a sound. His black clad body's covert movements making her think of a Panther slinking through the rainforest.

He came up to her side, brushing his fingertips against her knee to announce his presence and await her instructions. While they were all equals in rank, they readily acknowledged each individuals particular strengths and utilized them. There were no power plays in the Ravens, they were far beyond that.

He edged closer, still silent as an owl's wings until she could feel his even measure breaths against her ear.

"Ready, Hermoine?" His low whisper roughened baritone enveloped her.

Sparing a glance at the cave and not seeing anything major amiss, she took a moment to study the fourth member of their group. His aristocratic facial features a stark outline against the velvet night, the white blond of his hair tucked under the same skull-cap they all wore. His physical presence was strong, masculine, and calmly assured. It never failed to ease that insidious mental presence, if only for a little while, giving her a brief moment of peace.

Which was the biggest shock of all, considering the source.

She watched and waited as the last figure crept into the cave, no spark of magic lit the night and she detected no wards. It was time.

"Go Draco."

He nodded, hand signaling to Ron as they both went for the entrance of the cave. Harry replacing him at her side, patiently waiting for the foul creatures to be flushed out of their den.

It was easy, they had done it plenty of times that they could probably be successful without their wands. Probably be back home in time for a warm dinner and comfy bed.

A brilliant light flashed, and for a moment, night was day. Then deafening booms rocked the ground beneath them, forcing them to lay flat on the ground. Eyes and ears were momentarily useless against the sensory onslaught.

That's when all Hell broke loose.

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**You are intrigued, no? Until next time!**


	2. Chapter 2

**Holy rockin' responses Batman! I'm so, SOOOOO disgustingly happy about the action this little fic has seen thus far. This chapter is significantly longer. To be precise, the word count is 3.9244851 times longer. Yeah, I did the math. **

**Disclaimer: I had a little plot fairy flit around in my head and she won't shoo, so I have to inflict my ideas on the universe because I'm out of mental bug spray. So nope, not mine. Shocking.**

**Avast me readers! I'm warnin' ye - there be VI-OH-LENCE, bloodshed, some sea worthy cursing, and ass kickery in this here chapter. **_**Arrrrr.**_

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**Chapter 2 - Alis volat propriis**

(_Latin: She flies with her own wings._)

She could have sworn she had her time turner again. Everywhere she looked things were in slow motion, with an eerie choking silence. The Earth seemed to completely still in anticipation of what would come next. She couldn't even hear the sound of her own heartbeat.

Then her world kaleidoscoped, putting her in sensory overload with bursts of color and sound.

She felt a warm trickle out of one ear - eardrum must have burst.

Harry, she had to find Harry.

Frantically she looked around, the motion of her skull swiveling back and forth causing her to convulsively swallow against instant nausea. Did she have a concussion?

Sprawled on the forest floor, she tried to get up, pushing herself on shaking arms before collapsing back into to the leaf litter. Reaching down, she clasped her wand in her trembling hand. Rolling over to lie on her back, she willed the stars to stop their hellacious spinning.

Something tickled the edges of her senses. There it was again, but she couldn't make sense of it as she fought to concentrate on the distorted sounds reverberating in her pounding head.

What in Merlin's name had just happened, did a bomb go off?

Taking another deep breath and gritting her teeth, she tried to sit up. Gasping at the pain she immediately disregarded it, compartmentalizing all sensations away to deal with later. She had to get up, find her boys and get the hell out.

She brought her hand to her face when her vision became blurry and it came away shining and wet with her still warm blood.

There was that noise again. It was a little more distinct this time. A man's voice.

"Hermione! No!"

Everything went black.

Draco stiffened as he slowly came back to consciousness. He did not know where he was and if the Death Eaters had found him when he was knocked out by the blast. Best use caution.

The last thing he remembered was getting the all clear from Hermione before following Weasley to flush out their quarry. Then there was blinding light and he knew nothing more.

He could hear water dripping, his hands and feet had been tied and he lay on his side on the cool damp ground. It was safe to assume they had taken his wand.

Was he in the cave?

There were quiet murmurs all around him.

"How did they find us?"

"Just walk backwards slowly and we can apparate out of here, no one will know."

"Where's the fourth one?"

He heard booted feet before a thud was followed by a low grown.

Ron. They had Ron too.

The deep menacing voice resounded through the area. "I'm only going to ask once more, where's the woman?"

He slowly opened his eyelids just enough to be able to see past his lashes.

The speaker was a broad shouldered male and was towering over two figures tied in a similar state as him. He would recognize that black unruly hair anywhere.

Shit, they had Potter too. Neither one bothered to give the man an answer.

"Tell me where she is, filth!"

Tall and angry brought his boot down on Harry's stomach, causing the wizard to curl into himself as he gasped.

His mind immediately began working through how to get out of this situation. They all knew wand less magic and as long as the bindings weren't charmed against it, they could be removed. Focusing inward, he invoked the spell to loosen the ropes.

Nothing. Damn.

They were skilled in hand-to-hand combat. A nice jab to the throat did wonders to prevent the speaker from hexing, definitely hard to do that when your voice box was crushed. But you needed your hands for that.

They were down, but they weren't out. Especially if Hermione...

"Sebastian! We found her!"

All three men on the ground tensed. Draco's mercurial eyes snapped open to see some greasy thug with an unconscious brunette draped across his shoulder. Her once pristine braid was undone and covered in leaves. A red line was trailing from one of her ears, down her cheek and dripped off her chin.

Was she playing opossum?

The lackey unceremoniously dropped Hermione onto the ground, he winced in sympathy for how hard she hit. She didn't move or indicate she felt any pain. Not playing then.

Sebastian, formerly known as Tall and Angry, sauntered over with his hands in his pockets. "Where was she, Simon?"

"Edge o' the woods, starin' at the sky like it was gonna fall or somethin'."

Simon, the greasy lackey, snorted at his own joke but sobered quickly when Sebastian glared at him.

"Did you get her wand?"

He reached a fat hand into his robes, "Yessir! Here it is!"

Sebastian pocketed her wand and looked at the four on the ground. He smirked at the glares the conscious ones were giving him.

"Look at you! As if your looks alone could actually kill. It appears someone has clipped the Ravens wings." He shook his head and tsk'd. "Tis' a shame."

He rolled Hermione over with the toe of his boot, her arm flopping over, palm facing up. Draco immediately went deadly still as their captor brushed her hair away from her face then grasped her chin, inspecting her lifeless form.

"Yes, a shame. Especially for this pretty little bird. An imposter. Wake her, Simon."

Simon muttered 'Innervate' and Hermione's body shook as it was unnaturally forced awake.

He heard Ron start struggling to get free.

Sebastian kneeled down."Wake up, pet. That's a good girl." Her eyes slowly opened, dimmed with hurt and confusion.

The look he was giving Hermione as she lay beneath him filled Draco with fury, acid flowing in his veins as adrenaline flooded his system. He began to furiously wring his wrists back and forth in attempt to loosen the ropes.

"You've been very naughty, pet. Didn't you know this was a no fly zone?"

Sebastian chuckled and his minions echoed his actions from the shadows.

"I think it's time we plucked your pretty feathers. Don't you my friends?"

Depraved laughter bounced off the walls of the cave as Sebastian stood once more.

"Keep your hands off her, you bastard!" Ron bellowed while Harry attempted to get Hermione's attention. She was beyond hearing, her head lolled back like a windblown dandelion.

Draco jerked his wrists harder, the cords digging into the skin, making them burn. It didn't matter, he almost had one arm free.

Laughter immediately ceased as Sebastian stalked over to Ron.

"Shut your mouth you disgusting blood traitor. How dare you attempt to protect this, this thing! Following her around like a mindless rutting fool. Disgraceful."

He stomped back over to Hermione, pointing down at her.

"You see this, my brethren! This is what we are fighting against! Our magic, our very souls, are being tainted by those that pretend to have the same power that we do. They do not hold to our sacred traditions nor do they value our real power. They are abominations, unworthy of our magic."

He bent and pulled Hermione up by her hair, forcing her to stand on wobbling legs that refused to give her a sure footing.

He shook her like a rag doll, "Look at her! She was educated in the same schools your children, shopping in our marketplaces, seducing your sons and infecting them with her muggle poison while she brutally hunts down our brothers and sisters as they attempted to preserve our perfect way of life."

His eyes gleamed with his impassioned speech, only pausing to meet the eyes of his audience. Coaxing them to fall into line as his voice rose with each hate filled sentence.

"I say no more! I will fight to my last breath to rid the wizarding world of this vermin. Starting with her."

He backhanded Hermione, her head whipping to the side as she dropped to her knees.

The crowd roared in blood thirsty approval.

Just then, another voice cut through the din. The menacing tenor of it promising violence, sliding like toxic silk through the cavern, subduing the revelers.

"Touch her again, and I will kill you, ever so slowly."

Heads turned to see a figure defiantly standing, his bindings lying in a pile at his feet. Eyes like molten silver openly challenging their leader.

Sebastian released Hermione's hair.

"You dare threaten me? You are the worst of all. Your family was destined for greatness - yet you betrayed our Dark Lord!"

Draco sighed and buffed his nails on his black flak jacket, studying his cuticles in feigned boredom.

"Yes, yes. I've gone over this countless times with many other upstarts. Do be so kind and cut to the chase? I grow weary of your posturing."

Sebastian's face went purple in rage as he commanded his men to seize Draco. Lithely avoiding blows and dishing out a few of his own, he valiantly fought and brought down three of his would-be attackers. There were too many of them.

They held him face down in the dirt, pinning him by his ankles and wrists as another one dug his knees into his spine to prevent him from moving.

"It gives me extreme pleasure to know I'm the one who's going to kill you, Malfoy."

Although he fought to take in air due to the weight sitting on him, he managed a chuckle.

"Yeah? Definitely never heard that one before."

Sebastian roared in fury and Draco's world broke apart at the seams only to come back together and rip into smaller pieces.

Fucking Unforgiveables.

The cloistering fog lifted from Hermione when Sebastian hurled the 'Crucio' at Draco. Watching his body spasm as it was crushed by those men caused something inside her to snap.

_No!_

Later, when asked to describe exactly what happened, all she would remember was a red tinted haze falling over her rapidly tunneling vision. That influence, the thing within her that she had tried so hard to keep at bay lazily stretched in its mental cage.

It seemed to sigh in relief as it found no resistance.

_Finally. _

_Now, we punish._

Ron and Harry watched in disbelief as Hermione's brown eyes deepened to an inky black, the whites disappearing in the unnatural tempest. Black claws sprouted from her finger tips and her hair floated around her face, snapping and popping with raw power.

The Death Eaters on top of Malfoy immediately jumped to their feet, paling in shock and bewilderment.

She threw her head back, releasing a blood curdling shriek and they heard the sound of cloth ripping.

Sebastian pointed his wand at her, "What sort of trickery is this?"

A vicious hiss came from Hermione as she crouched, curling her clawed hands as she stared down the quivering crowd.

"_Surrender. Now."_

Harry frowned, her voice was off. It still sounded like Hermione, but with a growling sublayer that infused her normally dulcet pitch. Ron had freed his hands and was frantically working on the knots on his ankles.

Sebastian crossed his arms over his chest. "I will not."

Hermione's inhuman snarl revealed brilliant white fangs peeking out from her full crimson lips. The world had completely turned on its head. And what was that buzzing sound?

_"Then you die."_

"Avada -"

Blood sprayed over the walls of the cave, someone screamed as Sebastian's head cleanly slipped off his neck, hitting his feet and rolling as his body crumbled. One of Hermione's hands was covered in blood.

It didn't even look like Hermione had moved from her previous position, yet she had been faster than the spell. How in the-?

Total pandemonium broke out as the few lanterns were knocked over and extinguished as Death Eaters scrambled to escape the massacre. Screams of pain and sickening wet sounds bounced off the walls, creating a symphony of death and destruction in the obscurity of the shadows. By the time Ron had helped Harry out of the ropes, there was complete silence.

They couldn't see anything in the pitch black.

"Hermione? Draco?"

"Accio, wands." Four wands flew into Ron's palm. Handing Harry his he placed his team mate's into a pocket in his cargos.

"Hermoine? You ok?"

They heard a small mewl.

Ron pointed his wand to the caves ceiling, "Lumos."

They blinked as their eyes adjusted to the light, what they saw froze them in their tracks.

"Merlin..."

The entire back portion of the cave was awash in garnet rivers, the walls coated with so much of it; it had started to drip like macabre stalactites.

Arms, legs, and torsos littered the cave floor. And in the middle of it annihilation was Hermione, kneeling over Draco making small sounds of distress while brushing his hair away from his eyes.

The origin of the mysterious buzzing sound had been discovered. Small, delicate, translucent wings were protruding from between Hermione's shoulder blades.

Harry took a cautious step forward.

"Hermione? You alright, love?"

She stiffened and he stopped advancing. When she raised her head, her eyes were still that bottomless black. She seemed to study him for a moment, her head cocked to the side in thought. But she hissed and her wings flapped angrily as Ron approached.

"Stop, Ron. We don't know what's wrong with her."

Harry raised his hands in a surrendering gesture.

"'Mione, we just want to make sure you and Draco are alright. Can we come closer?"

Hermione crawled over Draco's torso, flattening herself over him. Covered in gore as she was, she looked like an avenging angel of death, one that you did not want to anger.

_"Mine."_

Harry took another slow step forward and Hermione growled, snapping her teeth at him. He ruefully thought of his Hogwarts days, when he had to approach Buckbeak for the first time.

Draco let out a moan. Her focus immediately switched and she keened softly, gently drawing her claws along his cheek.

"Harry, what the fuck?" Ron's whispered.

"I don't know, but that's not our Hermione right now. Stay exactly where you are, no sudden movements."

Ron nodded. "What's she gonna do to Malfoy?"

Draco inwardly cursed as he felt himself coming back to consciousness for the second time that evening.

Someone must still be holding him down, but this one was lighter and would be easier to throw off once he got his bearings.

Something soft was touching his face, and he felt a low vibration against his chest.

He opened his eyes.

"Malfoy! Don't move." Harry called out desperately.

He was too shocked to move, he couldn't have even if he tried.

Hermione, or what he thought was Hermione, was draped over him. She was covered in blood from head to toe, dark eyes staring at him intently.

Her whole body tensed as she glared at Harry, her lips curled back as she growled. Holy hell, were those fangs?

"It's alright Hermione. We just want to help." Harry was attempting to be soothing and calm, as if to tame a cornered animal.

_"Mine."_

He ignored the pain in his body, softly clearing his throat.

"Hermione?"

Wait a moment. Were those-? His eyes widened as he took in her appearance once more. She had fluttering appendages sprouting out of her back and daggers on her fingers. _Hermione_ had wings and claws. Something was wrong with their witch. But what? They had seen a lot of strange things during their school years, the War, and afterwards in the Ravens. This was slowly making its way up the list.

To his relief, she stopped pressing him into the ground and instead straddled him, releasing some of the left over soreness he was feeling from the Crucio. Her focus was turned solely on him, those glinting ebony eyes actually seemed to soften.

He never turned away from Hermione's stare as he asked in a low whisper, "What do you suggest I do, Potter?"

Harry looked at him intently, "Hippogriff."

He withheld the urge to roll his eyes. What on Earth did that mean? The last time he met up with a Hippogriff he…

Oh.

_Oh._

He forced his body to relax, to appear completely non-threatening. "Hermione? You ok?"

She gave him a soft smile, the black expanse momentarily lighting with stars, reminding him of black diamond's as she purred. Her wings flapped once and her smile widened into something proud and wicked. Those little fangs stark white against her garnet lips.

_"I killed them. I killed them all."_ Her voice was deeper and it had a faint rumble to it.

He looked around at the carnage in the room and swallowed. She had done this? All by herself? He looked over to Harry and Ron who nodded in confirmation.

"I see that."

She grabbed his hands and brought them up to frame her face sandwiching them between her own black clawed hands, leaning into his touch. The muted purr became louder as she closed her eyes and breathed deeply, slowly opening them again.

_"I killed them for you."_

"For me?"

She nodded, _"They touched what was mine. I punished."_

His eyebrows rose to his hairline.

"What on Earth are you talking about, Hermione?"

She dropped his hands and her wings began to flap furiously as the glittering stars in her eyes were doused. Her purrs turned into threatening growls as she leaned down, their noses almost touching.

She flashed those lethal fangs again, shit. He was never good with magical creature diplomacy.

_"You are mine!"_

"Damn it all Draco! Calm her down before she kills you." Harry bellowed.

Taking cues from her previous behavior, he cupped her face, noticing how it gave her a modicum of calm. He purposefully gentled his voice.

"I'm sorry, that was neither a challenge nor a rejection. I just don't understand what you mean. Explain it to me, please."

The growls and angry wing flaps immediately ceased.

_"Consort."_

He kept his face completely neutral, just kept cradling her face in his hands. "Consort?"

She said nothing but smiled mysteriously as she nuzzled his palm. Looking for all the world as content as a cat sunning itself on a lazy afternoon.

The brief moment of peace was interrupted when Ron tripped in his attempt to get to him, startling her. She shrieked as her shoulders hunched and he felt her thighs bunch around his hips, his only warning that she was going to pounce.

Not knowing what else to do, he wrapped his arms around her, trapping her small body against his chest, keeping her imprisoned in his lap as she writhed against his hold. Something told him to be careful of her wings, so he kept one arm over the tops of her shoulders, tucking her head underneath his chin; the other had a death grip around her waist.

She yowled in fury as she tried to get him to let go. Damn she was strong. But not once did she scratch or introduce him to those new teeth of hers while she struggled.

Harry grabbed Ron by the arm and drug him a safe distance away. Hoping to calm her further when he was out of her visual range.

"It's alright Hermione. Be calm. You don't want to hurt Ron and Harry, you love them as much as they love you."

She let out a long slow hiss against his chest.

"You have to be careful or you will hurt me too. You don't want that, do you?"

He cupped the back of her head, petting her wild hair to soothe her. She trembled, but took a deep steadying breath while he focused on keeping his own heart rate steady and even. When most of the tension had slowly leeched out of her system, he leaned back to look at her.

Her claws and wings had receded, the black of her eyes slowly coming back to that rich brown they were all used to and incredibly fond of.

"That's it, sweetheart. Deep breaths, it's ok now."

He cupped her cheek, looking at her for signs of aggression or panic. When the darkness had completely left her irises, leaving just a dilated pupil, Hermione's body went completely limp. He signaled behind her back to let the other two know he had this under control.

"Draco?" She sounded incredibly weak, her skin waxen.

He stood, easily cradling her slight weight against his chest. "We have to get to St. Mungo's. Can you calm down enough for me to apparate?"

She nodded flinching as the movement caused her pain.

"Just rest, Hermione. I'm getting you out of here."

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**Fun fact - hydrogen peroxide will get fresh blood out of pretty much anything (except your conscience) if applied immediately. **

**Until next time...Adieu!**


	3. Chapter 3

**Ladies and Gents, Lads and Lassies, Cops and Robbers, Cowboys and Indians - whoever you may be...Many thanks for stopping by! I want to squeeze the fluff out of all of you.**

**In case you don't know by now, this is an AU, OOC, WIP Dramione story. (You should feel so proud of yourselves for knowing all that fan fiction jargon.) While we're at it - it's un-Beta'd too. **

**Disclaimer: I own many awesome things, I think many awesome things, but I did not write the awesome thing that is Harry Potter. Honest. JK did. I swear!**

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**Chapter 3 - "Meddle not in the affairs of a dragon, for thou art crunchy and taste good with ketchup."**

Draco drew a tired hand down his face and yawned. It had been a very, very long night….

They had given the St. Mungo's healers the shock of their lives as all the Ravens apparated into the emergency ward at once, shouting for immediate assistance.

Everyone paused in mid movement, jaws dropped, then there was a frenzy as they had taken notice of the limp form of Hermione still in Draco's arms. Everyone scrambled, afraid to ask Draco to hand her over and instead directing him to an examining room where he could lay Hermione down.

He could hear Harry and Ron getting seen to on the other side of the curtain, none of their injuries were threatening. A few potions and they would be good to go.

It was he and Hermione that needed the immediate attention. But he waved off the nervous healers, insisting they take care of Hermione first.

Looking down at her his gut clenched. Despite what they had just seen, she looked so small and fragile. The pristine white of the hospital sheet making the bruises, cuts, blood dramatically stand out.

Flashes of a dark room, a glint of steel and a horrible word carved into flesh went through his mind, he shook his head to clear it.

That was 8 years ago, she was always telling him he had to let it go. But it was hard. Every time Hermione had gotten hurt he always felt guilty, even if she assured him there was no way he could have prevented it.

He stood by once, never again.

He gripped the metal sides of the hospital bed as he finally started to notice the extent of his injuries. A fine tremor left over from the Crucio in his arms a legs, his wrists were an angry red color from the ropes, and he was getting a killer migraine.

"Excuse me," he snapped his attention to the young female healer who was worrying her lower lip.

"Pardon me, Auror Malfoy, sir. I just need to tend to Auror Granger."

He nodded in understanding, then raised a single eyebrow in question when she started wringing her hands.

"I have to remove her clothing and get her cleaned up so we can see the extent of her injuries."

"Oh! I understand, I'll just-." He rubbed the back of his neck in embarrassment.

She smiled at him,"She'll be ok. Please go get yourself looked at in the meantime."

He nodded again and chuckled at his own ridiculousness. Closing the curtain behind him he waited until Ron got up from the gurney and motioned for him to sit, his body refusing to gracefully land and just dropping heavily onto the thin mattress.

"Good Lord, Malfoy. Why did you wait so long?"

He shrugged at the red head and had to clear his throat so he could speak past the pain, "Hermione needed it first."

It was this unspoken agreement amongst the three males, whenever possible, Hermione would always receive the best. It was all they could do to repay her for what she had done for each of them. When out on a mission, she got the best sleeping area, the most rations, and when injured - she got the best care. She grumbled about it, but they dutifully ignored each and every one of her protests.

The nurses had him take off his flak jacket as the Healer got to work. This Healer was good, quick and efficient and no fuss. The attending nurse however, was another matter.

As the Healer was handing him two potions and was instructing him on dosages, he noticed out the corner of his eye how the platinum blonde nurse was running her eyes up and down his torso. When he turned to her to get his now clean and repaired standard issue jacket, she giggled when he murmured his thanks.

He ignored the idiotic noise when the nurse giggled again as he got off the gurney and began to redress, it was not a pleasant sound. Draco fought to keep the extreme annoyance off his face. Instead channeling it into a death glare he aimed at the smirking Potter. He stepped around them to go back to check on Hermione.

Directly after the war, witches- regardless of blood status- treated him like he was covered in infectious boils. They gave him a wide birth wherever he went, which was fine by him. He had so much to deal with on his own that he didn't give them the time of day.

But as the Ravens gained notoriety and he was often seen in the company of the Golden Trio, they flocked to him and the rest of his companions.

All of the male Ravens were very well built. The rigors of his elite Auror training had certainly done his body good. He had matured from the lanky eighteen year old and filled out his 6' 2" frame with a good bit of muscle. Harry always politely rebuffed any advances, his heart belonged to none other than Ginny Potter. That would never change. Ron was a bit hard to handle at first, he gloried in the party scene, but as they had gotten older he had slowed his escapades.

Or at least said escapades had stopped showing up in the papers.

Hermione was another story. Where as they were big and tall, she was small and lithe. She stopped growing at age seventeen, standing at 5' 5" and she was curvy. He remembered when they all teased her about an article in Witch Weekly that said she had,"the perfect hourglass figure, killer curves befitting her deadly aura. Dowdy Hermione, nevermore!" Even her notorious hair had amazingly calmed itself as she had grown. The chocolate locks got their act together and now formed silky ribbon curls that, when she had it down, reached her mid back.

Whereas he and Harry would routinely dodge feminine attention (and Ron would bask in it), Hermione never seemed to have that problem. Wizards just didn't know how to handle her and therefore would not attempt to pursue her and he knew deep down it bothered her. Most men she met just didn't see her as a woman and the ones that did thought they could conquer her like she was some mythical beast to boast about over drinks.

His musings stopped short when Hermione began to fidget, it bothered him that even passed out she did not appear peaceful. She was frowning and every so often her eyes would twitch behind her lids and her fingers would clench.

He wasn't left alone to observe for long, after making a few notes, the giggling nurse batted her eyelashes at him. Why did women do that? It wasn't coquettish, it just made them look like they had something in their eye or having a seizure. One of these days he was going to force once down to the ground and put a stick in her mouth just to teach her a lesson.

Unfortunately the smile that thought gave him had been misinterpreted to mean his interest.

"Maybe you and I can go for coffee sometime?"

Harry, who by this time had joined this pleasantly awkward conversation, tried to cover his laugh by coughing in his hand. Bastard.

He looked down at the witch, hoping his mild glare would make her back down. She actually simpered at his attention.

"I don't drink coffee." Yes, it appeared he was now reverting to lying to be rid of her.

She smiled at him again, her false red lips looking garish against her pale face.

"That's alright, maybe lunch?"

He sighed."Thank you for the offer but-"

She put her hand on his forearm,"I know, you're a very busy man. How about I leave you my number?"

Harry had turned away from them to speak to Ron beyond the curtain, but he could see his shoulders shaking with silent mirth.

He opened his mouth to finally tell her to get lost or even point her in Ron's direction when,

_"Don't. Touch. Him."_

He spun back to the bed. Hermione was awake. And her eyes were an angry swirling black.

Pushing the idiotic nurse away from him he leaned over her bed side so she could see nothing but him. "It's alright Hermione."

She snapped her teeth at him.

_"Mine."_

He cautiously reached out his hand, praying she didn't snap it off, running his fingers through her now clean hair.

"Yes, now calm yourself. You're still healing."

His lack of argument must have appeased her, since she calmed immediately.

"Is she ok? Should I get Healer Richards?" Damn, he had forgotten the nurse.

Hermione sprang from the bed and headed straight for the frozen in terror woman and would have reached her if not for his Seeker instincts which were as good as they ever were and he caught her around the waist.

"Harry! Get her out of here!"

Using his hold on her he spun her into him to cage her in his arms. Her panting hot breaths were against his sternum and he gritted his teeth as he felt her little claws dig into his shoulders as she pulled at him.

"Hermione, you need to calm down." He kept his voice completely neutral.

_"Mine." _Ok, time to be forceful.

"Stop this now, your causing a lot of trouble and if you don't cease, someone is going to get hurt."

_"Punish."_

Her voice had gone raspy and guttural, sounding more savage than in the cave. He kept the strength of his hold, but gentled his hands as he gripped her hips.

"Trust me, she got the message." He could hear the nurse blubbering out in the hallway as Harry profusely apologized. Looks like he got out of that invitation, some good came out of this situation after all.

As she wriggled against him he thought that this must be what it felt like holding on to a python, she kept her grip on him but she wanted away at the same time. She was just a bundle of menacing muscle and he breathed a sigh of relief when the Healer finally appeared. Looking around like there wasn't equipment knocked over and a snarling fanged woman in the corner.

"Good Evening, I'm Healer Richards. I hear we've got a bit of a mystery here besides what usually drags you Ravens in."

He had never seen the elderly Healer before and watched him cautiously as he walked over and spoke with Harry. Nodding occasionally, he listened to Potter quietly recounting the events of the evening. When the briefing was over, he spun to look at the entangled pair of Aurors.

"Interesting, very interesting. Let's rule out the obvious first shall we?"

Waving his wand in rhythmic graceful patterns, Draco could feel Hermione tense as the magic surrounded them. He shushed her when her growling became louder.

Healer Richards nodded again and watched Hermione with keen eyes, his intelligent dark gaze darting from her eyes, to her fangs, and clawed hands. He nodded to himself and seemed to come to a decision.

"Right. Well, she hasn't been possessed, cursed, or otherwise enchanted. Which does make a more difficult diagnosis. We are going to need to take a blood sample." He rubbed his hands together gleefully, clearly anticipating picking apart the possibilities. Draco's eyebrows rose and he couldn't even attempt to hide the 'are you joking' look in his eyes.

Healer Richards smiled. "We can work around certain…..obstacles. Perhaps, Auror Malfoy, you would be so kind to assist?"

Great, the man was going to get him killed. What made it infinitely worse was that the man's entire demeanor was calm, chipper even, despite the growling creature currently in his arms. Of course he was happy, he wasn't the one holding onto it.

Oh yeah, just another day at the office.

He looked down at Hermione, her unblinking stare was still directed at him so he spoke directly to her. "I'm going to get something from the Healer, I'm going to let one of my arms go. Do not move. Understand?"

He hid his shock when she relaxed a bit and nodded. Steadying his grip, he slowly released one of his arms around Hermione, and held out his palm. When he felt the cool glass of the vial he kept his movements slow and controlled as he brought his arm back. The entire time Hermione did nothing but stare at him.

"How do I collect the blood from her?" He was not willing to cut her, that was absolutely not an option.

"She reopened on her neck, a small amount will do the job nicely." He nodded toward the Healer to show he understood.

He pulled her tighter into his arms, tucking her head into his neck in an attempt to hold her and move her hair back so he could collect the blood sample. He could feel her warm breath against his skin.

"Stay very still Hermione."

She nuzzled into his neck which he took for a nod. The healer was right, just below her ear she had caused the gash to open when she had struggled. Tipping the small vial against her skin he let a few droplets run down to the bottom.

"That's enough, thank you."

Hermione was contentedly purring against him, but ceased immediately as we went to hand the vial to the Healer. The Healer, not wanting him to drop the vial and it's content, swiftly moved to grab it. Luckily Hermione seemed not to notice.

Draco took his wand out and whispered a quick spell that would clean the blood off of Hermione's skin. For the moment, she seemed unconcerned. Her claws had retracted from his skin and she had her arms wrapped around him. Harry just watched them in that eery way he had, where his serious green eyes seemed to take in things not even visible to the human eye. Ron was guarding the doorway, only moving to let the Healer through.

"This will take a few minutes, please ward the doorway to prevent any new staff interruptions and I'll be with you shortly."

The three watched him go as he still held onto Hermione. "Hey Potter."

Harry turned back to look at him, "Yeah?"

He looked around the room until he spotted what he was looking for. "Can you right that chair please? Don't bring it over here though, leave it where it is."

Harry immediately moved across the room to set the tipped over chair back on it's legs and walked back over to Ron. Both of them watched him curiously.

Hermione was still rubbing the tip of her nose up the slope of his neck, behind his ear, back down to the collar of his jacket just to repeat the pattern again. He tilted his head to stop her movements as his cheek laid against her temple.

"I need to tell you something. Are you listening?"

She gave a little nod and he could feel her wings flutter underneath his arm. Damn, he forgot about those and hoped he didn't do any damage earlier.

"I'm extremely tired Hermione, I need to sit down."

She tensed and made a sort of odd whining sound.

"Hush, you're coming with me, I just wanted to tell you so that I didn't startle you when I did this -"

He quickly bent down and scooped her up into his arms, walking directly over to the chair and sitting them both in it. He remained still while Hermione got settled in his lap, arms still around his neck. He dug into one of his pockets for the first potion that he needed to take and as he tilted his head back to take a sip, she snatched the bottle from his hand.

"What are you doing?" It was a simple pain potion that removed the remaining toxins from the curse out of his body's soft tissues. He was unfortunately familiar with the routine of hourly doses and amounts and so was Hermione. Yet she was turning the bottle around and around in her hands and after sniffing the contents, she licked the rim of it.

Seeming satisfied with what she found, she put the bottle to his lips and tipped it, pouring the exact amount he had needed. He was so astonished that he had let her do it and swallowed obediently as she watched him, purring in approval. Then she clutched onto the bottle like her life depended on it.

He looked up at Harry and Ron who both shrugged their shoulders at him. He searched her eyes and they were still as black as midnight, her claws and fangs had not receded - yet she appeared calm.

He leaned his head on the back of the wall as they waited for the Healer to return. He drew a tired hand down his face and yawned. It had been a very, very long night….

* * *

**Just as an FYI - my Marine husband is coming back from his deployment. YAY! But we are moving from Georgia to California. BOO! (I say 'Boo' because all of our family lives in Georgia.) Which means I am packing up my wagons and headed West! I'll try to update as much as possible but be prepared for June and July to be slow since I'm playing Oregon Trail - The Real Game. I even named our drive…yeah you read that right…we are DRIVING +3K freakin' miles. I am calling it the Great *insert last name* Migration. I might even make a t-shirt saying that. **

**Anywhoo - Have an awesome day!**


	4. Chapter 4

**HEY YOOOUUU GUYS! (Quick, name that movie!)**

Sweet squishy baby Jesus you all are amazing. Definitely a boost to my wee lil self-esteem.

And yeah, I totally cackle when I get email alerts. Then I shove my phone into my little sisters' face and because I was/am a Disney kid I start singing the Tarzan song re-mixed to fit the scenario. I'm a visual person...let me set the stage…..

Ash: Look at all these alerts, reviews, and favorites! WHOO!

Little Sister: (tapping on her own phone with complete disinterest) Uh huh. Great.

Ash: No, sister. Bad form. This is your part *ahem* I WANNA KNOOOOW! CAN YOU SHOW ME!

Little Sister: Um, I don't-

Ash flamboyantly does a spin and sings in sister's face: Then I go. I WANT YOU TO KNOW THAT STRANGERS LIKE MEEEEE! then points to herself dramatically.

Little Sister: You seriously need to stop.

Ash: Watch it, I'm your elder. You shut your mouth and respect all that is Phil Collins and men in loin cloths. 

**Little Sister: *sigh* Perverse thoughts in 3….2…..**

**Ash: MMMMMM - loin cloths. Hey, you could sing that song to them to get them to show you a little-**

**Little Sister: You're married. Stop it. **

**Ash. YOU stop it.**

*end scene*

In public. It's amazing. I should sell tickets.

Disclaimer: I don't own these characters But if I could have anything you know what I would want?! HERMIONE GRANGER...and a rocket ship. (Name that musical!)

And now - WE READ!

* * *

**Chapter 4 –**

**"I'm no angel, but I've spread my wings a bit."**

** -Mae West**

Hermione yawned and stretched her arms, coming into contact with a something warm that was most definitely not a bed. Rubbing her tired eyes she opened one eye and looked around.

She was on a sleeping Draco's lap, his arm's holding her against his chest. Harry and Ron were snoring on a gurney while she and Draco were in a…chair? They must be at St. Mungo's.

Merlin, what was going on? She tried to remember but there was a dense black fog in her head and she was getting just small flashes that she couldn't interpret.

She didn't remember anything of the previous evening and something had clearly happened. They were no longer in the cave and that awful red haze was no longer present in her vision. The room was in shambles and she was still sitting in Draco's lap, draped over him like a cat.

When she tried to carefully move off him, his arms wrapped around her tighter and she froze. Waiting a few precious seconds to assure herself he was still asleep. She tried again.

"Ssssh, it's alright. Go back to sleep."

"Draco?"

He started awake but still didn't release her, his already low voice roughened with sleep. "Hermione?"

She pushed against his chest but he didn't relent.

"I'm not letting you go until I know you won't attack anyone. Tell me your most embarrassing moment."

She rolled her eyes at sighed in annoyance, "I polyjuiced myself into a cat while at Hogwarts. No one knows that but you, Ron and Harry."

Immediately he relaxed and his arms fell loose. "Welcome back."

She frowned, "What happened?"

"What's the last thing you remembered?"

"I remember the forest, the blast, then bit's of the cave. But that's all," she became more concerned at Draco's frown. "What is it?"

He glanced up at the clock, "The Healer was supposed to be here hours ago. I was hoping he could explain what happened because I have _no_ idea what just happened. Other than the fact your famous temper is on a trip wire that produces fangs, claws, and wings."

She swallowed and once again tried to find her way through the mental fog in her brain in attempt to remember what had happened. That ever present being was silent, almost as if it was sleeping. It wasn't harassing her to give into its lethal charms and to let loose her tight reigns of control just one time. It had never been this silent before. What had she done?

What exactly had she just let slip through? The possibilities were horrifying.

She flinched and he raised a pale eyebrow in question. "Is there something you're not telling me Hermione?"

She had been keeping her secret diligently for so long. She opened her mouth but nothing seemed to come out. How was she going to tell him? How were Harry and Ron going to react? They were going to be upset when she confessed, because she knew she was a possible danger, knew the risks, yet time and time again she put herself situations where she was almost guaranteed to fail.

Maybe the possibility of the danger had made her better. It created an iron-clad focus that she couldn't be lax in because of the internal threat she always carried with her. She had no cushion to catch her if she fell. It had made it easier to keep the thing the seemed to live in her very blood at bay as it sung to her in her dreams.

Draco's crystalline stare narrowed as he leaned closer to her, demanding with his presence that she looked him directly in the eyes. "Hermione, tell me now."

The door burst open with a very loud, "Good Morning Ravens!" Harry and Ron started awake. Ron tumbled off the side of the hospital bed in surprise.

A healer waltzed in; his beady eyes focused directly on Hermione while a demure dark haired woman walked into the room and quietly positioned herself in an empty corner.

"Welcome back Auror Granger! How are you feeling?"

She frowned and this overly excited Healer. "I'm sorry, have we met?"

He chuckled, "Ah, that's right. You weren't exactly in the frame of mind to chat with me during our first meeting. Allow me to introduce myself, my name is Healer Richards. I am the head of the Department of Magical Anthropology and Cryptozoology here at St. Mungo's. This," he motioned to the woman in the corner, "is Clara. She's going to be assisting me this morning."

She inclined her head politely at Clara, who had returned the gesture but did not speak. She felt the need to keep track of the exact location of the woman so she would know instantly if she made any sudden moves.

"Nice to meet you Healer Richards, can you please explain to me why the Director of the Department of Magical Anthropology and Cyrptozoology is overseeing my care?"

The Healer practically beamed at her. "Well my dear, you seem to have had a peculiar incident during your last mission. What do you recall of the last twenty-four hours?"

She quickly recounted the same thing she had told Draco earlier.

Healer Richards looked over to Clara as they seemed to have a silent conversation with each other. When that odd exchange was completed he turned back to resume speaking with Hermione.

"I'm not sure what Auror Malfoy has informed you of so we'll start at the beginning. Are you aware that during your recent mission you went into a rage that caused you to develop black eyes, fangs that replaced your normal canines, claws instead of your normal human fingernails and if that weren't enough." He clapped his hands in excitement. "You have wings! WINGS! It's fantastic!"

He looked around the room and drooped a bit at the apparent lack of enthusiasm. But he quickly perked up again.

"Are you also aware that you single-handedly mutilated 10 Death Eaters in less than three minutes?"

Scenes of blood and violence came to the forefront of her memory as she watched her own slim hands reach out and claw the head of one Death Eater clean off. These were not her first kills, not all missions ended with trips to Azkaban, but these were certainly her most brutal. She had ended lives with her bare hands and reveled in it.

She clutched her rolling stomach, launching herself from Draco's lap. She found the nearest trashcan and wretched for all she was worth. Draco had followed her and was holding her hair back.

"Explain to me why that was necessary?" He sounded furious.

"I simply had to ascertain whether she had been fully functioning when she attacked, clearly she was not."

"Clearly." He growled as he led Hermione back to their chair and tugged her against him as he sat down. She didn't fight him.

Harry was running his fingers through hair, which by now as alarmingly askew, as he paced. "Do you know what's going on, sir?"

Healer Richards clapped his hands and smiled again. "Indeed I do!"

Ron grumbled from the gurney he back to laying on, "Well don't leave us in suspense, what is wrong with Hermione!"

This seemed to be the queue he was waiting for as his speech picked up rapidly as he gave his explanation.

"After four separate trials, the results were definite. Very little room for error, I had my suspicions, but science doesn't allow for that sort of thing -"

Ron rolled his eyes.

"All the genetic markers are present along with the easily observed physical manifestations. It seems Auror Granger here is not of pure Muggle descent."

"What exactly are you saying Healer Richards?" Her voice had taken an unnaturally high pitch.

"Congratulations! You my dear are a Harpy."

Hermione again flew off Draco's lap in shock. Draco remained seated but placed a supporting hand on her lower back.

"EXCUSE ME!?" Hermione screeched in indignation. Everyone in the room seemed to tense except for this Clara woman who still had not said a word.

The Healer chuckled, "Oh my apologies, wasn't implying you act like one - on the contrary, you are one."

He looked around the room at the bowled over looks on the Ravens faces. "Oh come now, it can't have been that big of a surprise, surely. Hermione, may I call you Hermione? Hermione must have shown signs before this. Moments of aggression and fits of irritability?"

She watched as Draco, Ron and Harry shared a look and it was Harry who spoke. "Hermione has always been known to be passionate about things, but nothing to this magnitude."

This seemed to surprise the Healer and Clara both, "Really? This has never happened before? That shows extraordinary control. It's brilliant."

Hermione had enough and smacked Draco's hands away as he reached for her when he felt her stiffen.

"Stop talking about me like I'm not in the room. I have no idea what you are talking about and there's no way I can be a-a...Harpy. That's preposterous Healer Richards, I myself have tracked my families lineage back two hundred years. Nothing but Muggles, I am the first in a very, very long time to show any magical ability."

The Healer actually snorted when she said that. "Hermione, with your noted intelligence surely you know that magic doesn't genetically appear out of thin air. It has to come from somewhere or you would never have even been able to manifest your ability. It's a matter of recessed genetics. Your magic must have been the catalyst that allowed the transformation to begin."

"Transformation?" All four Ravens seemed to bellow at once. Draco stood up from his chair and had pushed Hermione behind him as if he could shield her from this with just his body.

Shuffling around Draco she was momentarily horrified at the possibility of what this transformation would mean. Greek and Roman mythology pictured Harpy's as horrifying hybrids of bird and woman with three breasts. Three horrible looking bare breasts attached to a torso with a vulture like head.

Internally, something began to stir awake at her distress then actually chuckled at the mental image she had conjured of herself then rolled over and fell back asleep.

The Healer seemed to know what she had thought as she wrapped her arms over her chest and had laughed so hard he had slapped both of his knees.

"You should know better young lady! After all, do witches have green skin and long noses? Do they cook newborn babes in the moonlight? Of course not!"

Clara cleared her throat and it seemed to reign the exuberant Healer in. "Right, well, how have you been feeling lately Hermione?"

She donned her neutral mask that was as familiar to her as her first name. "I've been fine."

The Healers eyebrows rose, "Really? No dreams, subconscious urges, thoughts of violence?"

She shook her head slowly. "No, sir."

Clara's pleasant voice sounded from her corner. "Why would you lie about this Auror Granger?"

Hermione felt the hair on the back of her neck raise as her head snapped to glare at the woman. Was she challenging her? She had no right!

Clara looked smug, "Your eyes are turning. Are you upset Auror Granger?"

Draco's warm hand gripped her shoulder giving it a warning squeeze, "Hermione."

Clara eyed Draco a bit too long for Hermione's liking. "Your man here is certainly attractive, I can understand why you're protective of him."

She did her breathing exercises, slow deep inhales and controlled exhales that lasted five seconds each. She was not going to get upset, she was not going to-

Clara shot Draco a heated look and struck a flirtatious pose. "You are a delicious one, care to share a bite?" The bitch had actually licked her lips!

Her palms hurt and she looked down at her hands to see moon shape cuts already welling blood from the sharp tips that had protruded over her fingernails.

Draco had stepped in front of her again. "What game are you playing woman? Cease this immediately."

Clara's throaty laugh made her growl as Draco walked backwards, crowding her into the counter.

That's when Healer Richards stepped in. "Enough Clara, thank you for your assistance. Hermione? You still with us?"

_"Make her leave, now."_

That voice did not belong to her, was this what had happened before? She squeezed her eyes shut and ground her teeth together, desperately attempting to calm herself. But she could feel the changes within her, her hearing became more acute. Draco's heartbeat, sounding like a rhythmic bomb going off. Harry was shifting his weight from foot to foot and Ron was doing that odd tick he had where he would rub his thumb and middle finger together in a soft snap.

The clock ticking was almost overwhelming.

She could hear the Healer's robes moving as he must have shaken his head. "I'm sorry, but Clara is not leaving. Trust me on this, you need her."

It looked like red was bleeding into her vision and she fought to remain coherent, it wasn't just red she realized – this was some type of infrared. She was picking up heat signatures, the four humans in the room glowing white against the burgundy background.

Wait, humans? She was referring to the others in the room as if they weren't her own kind. She let out a growl of confusion that was quickly turning to fear.

Draco reached back and placed his big warm palm against her stomach, pinning her against the counter in an attempt to simultaneously provide comfort and keep her still. She tried to embrace that warmth and how good it felt, but even that was fleeting.

He took a deep breath; she heard the air fill his lungs and his heartbeat remained strong and steady. "Can you not see how you are causing her distress?"

Harry and Ron spoke up as well, but their combined voices crashed into her already battered ears. She went into full sensory overload.

She felt the acid burning in her veins and began to pant as she fought against it. She could control this, she was not a mindless killer, she was civilized and her brain was her most valuable weapon. But she couldn't get her thoughts under control! They tilted and danced away from her as she tried to organize them, white strobes against the sea of red and the strong vibrations of raised voices wanting to shake out her very bones.

Lost to the overwhelming sensations, she covered her face with her hands and did something she hadn't done since the funerals after the war.

Hermione began to cry.

***

Draco felt her trembling against his palm and fought valiantly against his anger. He had to remain in control, if they both went off there would be no saving the Healer and his _assistant._

Ron and Harry were reprimanding Healer Richards as Clara watched the chaos around her with complete disinterest.

Everyone stilled when they all heard the sob from behind him. Harry and Ron looking at him with an expression of panic, a look he was sure have on his face. Both took a step towards him to get closer to Hermione.

"Don't! Please, don't come any closer!" Her shaking voice pleaded.

Turning around, he gently grasped her wrists and pulled her hands away from her face. She wouldn't look at him.

He easily grasped both of her wrists in just one of his hands and used the other to tip her chin up to force her to look at him. And what he saw broke his heart.

Her eyes were doing an odd flicker from black to brown but that wasn't what bothered him, it was tears streaming down her cheeks. Dressed in the hospital gown, hair out of her usual braid, she looked so small and forlorn. Completely lost.

Hermione never cried. Ever. They had seen some pretty horrific things and for a while the emotional aftermath of the war caught them all up at times. But while Hermione grieved and she expressed sadness, she never shed a tear.

It astounded him as much as it infuriated him. Picking her up, he sat her down on the counter so that she was closer to his height and she was also easier to see from the rest of the rooms inhabitants. Harry and Ron each sucked in a breath of surprise before Ron turned on the Healer. He noticed Hermione flinch as Ron started to bellow.

"I demand to know what you have done! What game is this? We've been here for twelve hours and all you've managed to do is put her in this state."

Harry didn't have to raise his voice to the level of Ron's to get his point across. "If you have caused her any intentional harm, I will personally hold you two responsible. Protocols don't apply to the Ravens."

Healer Richards decided to speak up. "Now see here boys, this will all make sense if we could just –"

The arguing started all over again and Hermione seemed to curl into herself, rocking back and forth as she cried harder. He then realized what was going on then released Hermione's hands and pressed his own against her ears.

He regretted raising his voice, but it had to be done. "Everyone stop!" Hermione was shaking so much he could feel it in his palms.

They all froze as he sent his patented glare to each of them. "Arguing is doing nothing more than upsetting her further. If you must, take this out in the hallway. Better yet, I want all of you to leave. Now."

Healer Richards attempted to protest but Ron and Harry were already crowding him towards the door. Clara glided out as easily as she had walked in. Ron and Harry stared at Hermione wide-eyed as she continued to cry. Harry then physically pushed Ron out, murmuring to Draco, "Send your Patronus when she's ready."

He looked back at the sniffling witch and sighed. Releasing her head, he wrapped his arms around her, holding her against his chest. This position was starting to become second nature. Unfortunately she didn't show any signs of calming and her shudders were turning into tremors of acute distress and she was breathing too quickly.

Running his fingers through her silky hair, he decided talking might help. "Will you tell me what has you so upset?"

She choked on another sob and he shushed her gently. "Hermione, I can help, I promise. You just have to tell me what's wrong."

She took a deep breath and then mumbled incoherently into his chest. "Sorry, what was that again?"

"I'm a monster."

He may have squeezed her to him a little too hard, but he no longer cared. "You are not a monster. Never say that."

"How can you say that? I ripped those men apart. I have wings sprouting out of my back. I have fucking claws!" He kept running his fingers through her hair, root to tip, as she cried softly against him.

"You know those men would have killed us and celebrated afterwards. You did not attack Hermione, you defended. And quite brilliantly too, set a new record." He chuckled at his own joke.

"As far as your new…..attributes, well, they aren't really that bad. It was a bit creepy at first, but we'll get used to it. But you need to stay calm, until we know exactly what we are dealing with. I know nothing about Harpies and clearly Ron and Harry don't either. I know you won't be content until you have every single bit of information stored in your abnormally massive brain."

She snorted. "Since when are you so calm and collected?"

"Well," he drawled, "Normally we both are an even match for our more impulsive duo. Why did Clara make you upset?"

She shrugged as she sniffled. "I don't know. She was just there and I instantly hated it."

"But you seemed to deal with it until she said you were lying." He stopped caressing her as he thought. "She wasn't right was she? You weren't lying to us, were you? Before all this I was trying to get you to talk to me."

She pushed away from him and he let her go, she quickly wiped at her wet cheeks. Her claws, still present, made her hands appear more dainty. Odd thought.

"I-I may have not been completely forthcoming to Healer Richards. B-but it doesn't m-matter, I can control it." Her black eyes flicked to his, "I p-promise."

He getting all sorts of insights to her today, so he just let his instinct go with it. "How long have you had to control 'it' Hermione?"

She looked down and picked at the white hospital gown with her claws.

"Stop stalling Hermione, how long?"

His stern tone must have surprised her because she was meeting his gaze again, trapping her trembling lip under one white fang. "You're going to be very upset with me."

He took a deep breath to ready himself. "How long?"

"Since after the final battle."

He would love to stop having this feeling that the floor was disappearing from under him. He had far too much experience with it in the last two days.

"Eight years. You've been struggling with this for _eight years_."

She nodded and another tear slipped down her cheek. He wiped it away with the backs of his fingers, "Why didn't you tell us. Hermione we could have helped, do you not trust any of us?"

She began to cry again, "No! It's not that at all, I just -"

"Just what?"

"I didn't trust me!" She slammed her fist down on the counter, not noticing the small dent and crack left on the surface.

"I knew what it was capable of if I let it loose, I knew it would ruin me. I can't be like that, a mindless animal with it's own sense of superiority and justice. I had to learn how to beat it back and I had to do it by myself. I couldn't have you all hovering over me like worried hens every time I slipped."

He shook his head in disbelief. Eight. Years. Merlin….

"Now you hate me don't you? I'm some sort of biological abomination." She covered her face again.

He grabbed her to him again, sternly reminding himself that this wasn't about him. "I could never hate you. Neither could Ron or Harry, you mean the world to us Hermione and we will do whatever we have to to help you."

He just held her as she cried herself out, chastising himself in his head. He just assumed those tired bruises under her eyes were just signs of being overworked or staying up late researching or reading. That it wasn't any attempt at relaxation when she sometimes would go so silent she barely seemed to breathe. How could they have missed this?

Her soft voice interrupted his thoughts. "Draco?"

"Hmm?"

"What's going to happen to me?"

He closed his eyes tightly and made a vow to her in his heart, he would do everything in his power for her. Their little witch who had fought more battles than any of them combined.

"I don't know sweetheart, but we'll figure it out. Together."

* * *

**I think I somehow channeled David Tennant's speech patterns as The Doctor when writing Healer Richards dialogue. Oh well.**

Just a quick reminder: I've borrowed some of the Harpy background and lore from Gena Showalter's amazing Lords of the Underworld series (I should probably note she is an adult (note: not teen) romance author who is brilliant).

I know you've been singing the Tarzan song in your head this whole time, BUSTED. I wish I could blame my antics on my age or something easy like that. But I'm in my late twenty's. I'm just weirdly awesome. You can't make meds for that.

Have yourselves an ass slappin' good time as you go out and about in your corners of the world!

~Ash


	5. Chapter 5

**Hey everyone!**

**Hope you're all having a good day, no long-winded babbling from me this time. **

**Friendly Neighborhood Spider Reminder: I don't own none o' this. You know what I'm sayin'? **

**(AU/OOC/WIP/ETC ETC ETC)**

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**Chapter 5**

**"It does not do to leave a live dragon out of your calculations, if you live near him."**

**-J.R.R. Tolkien**

The Four Ravens sat, collectively scowling at the Healer sitting behind the desk. Draco was irritated and that was an understatement. He had gotten a total of maybe four hours of rest, which was certainly not enough for his body even after a quick healing and potions dutifully taken.

He needed sleep. Badly.

Looking around, it was clear that they all did. Harry had just sent an owl to his wife letting her know that everyone was alright; just working on their latest 'assignment' and that hopefully he would be home by dinner. Ron had floo'd the Minister to brief him on their last mission's success as well as Hermione's new developments.

That had gone over as well as….what was that muggle saying? A ton of bricks? Yes. That one. And he felt like they had all landed on him.

He could feel stubble on his face after he had rubbed his eyes for the hundredth time. He needed a shower, a nice cup of tea, and bed. But no matter how tired and annoyed he was, he knew Hermione was on her last bit of strength.

She had just gone a verbal round with Healer Richards, demanding to see her blood tests and stating in her trademark condescending tone that it was ridiculous that Harpy's even existed. He was surprised at her adamant stance and he could tell it was wearing on the Healer's nerves as well.

"Hermione," Healer Richards sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose.

"How can you be so obstinate about this? Think about the world we live in. Mermaids, Giants, Centaurs, Dragons….they all exist. Why couldn't Harpy's? You're being extremely short-sighted, young lady."

"With all due respect, sir, how can something like this just 'pop up.' I'm not half, a quarter or even an eighth Harpy. I know absolutely nothing about them but I guarantee you give me full release from your care and I will within the hour."

All three men surrounding her snorted. More like fifteen minutes.

"That my dear is why Clara was here." He waved his hands in a surrendering gesture by the look on Hermione's face.

"She is Harpy. Full Harpy. And she can walk you through this transition. Especially since we believe you've already found your Consort. That will certainly speed things along exponentially."

Now he had Draco's full attention. She had said that at the cave and he still didn't know what that meant. Well, he knew the literal definition but his brain refused to grasp how that applied to him. Hermione was gearing up to argue again and he put his hand on her thigh to quiet her. It actually worked.

"What do you mean by Consort? I know what the word is, of course, but how does this apply to Hermione?"

The Healer was getting that excited gleam in his eyes again. Draco had already learned it would mean he would say something that in turn made his stomach drop.

"Well" he drawled dramatically."Haven't you noticed your effect on Hermione?" He glanced down at the hand that was still on her thigh.

"You are the only one who can calm her when she's in that state."

"The four of us are very close. This still doesn't seem to fit the cryptic meaning you're giving it."

The Healer grinned. "Her nearest and dearest all around her and it's only you she will allow to touch her and hold her."

Draco opened his mouth but the man kept going, "I have a theory that you being injured triggered her initial change. Not her own physical pain, not that of her other two counterparts. Yours. And twice now she has expressed her….territorial feelings over you."

Draco and Hermione shared a look of shared bewilderment.

"Her instincts scream at her to defend you, protect you, care for you and finally - claim you."

"Claim me? For what?"

"You're her Consort. Her mate."

All the air seemed to leave the room at once. Hermione was stock still beneath his hand and he didn't blink for a full ten seconds as he tried to organize the chaos that just broke out in his thoughts.

He squeezed Hermione's thigh in an unspoken show of support. He hadn't run yet, he was still here.

"What does being a Harpy mate mean exactly?"

The Healer leaned back in his chair and steepled his fingers. "Many creatures mate for life for a variety of reasons. You my boy, have met some sort of criteria she deemed absolutely essential to being her perfect mate. She chose you and as this change takes effect; her instincts will drive her to show that commitment in a….decidedly physical manner."

The Healer actually seemed to blush. Draco's mouth dropped open in shock, a quick glance at Hermione out of his peripheral vision eyes wide and blushing beet red.

They jumped when the room was filled with loud laughter. Ron had his head thrown back and his mouth wide open as he let out guffaw after guffaw. When he finally noticed the others all looking at him strangely, he tried to get control of himself.

"Harry, you remember that one night at the pub?" Now it was Harry's turn to blush as he nodded and rubbed the back of his neck.

Ron stuck out his palm. "You owe me a galleon, mate. An honorable wizard always keeps his bets."

Draco raised an eyebrow, demanding an explanation in his superior silent manner, and Ron smirked at him.

"Well you see - Harry and I were out drinking one night and we got to talking about relationships."

Draco snorted, "That's very manly of you."

Ron waved him off as he continued, "Specifically, we were talking about how I have far too many, Harry has just one and you two are practically non-existent. I happened to point this out and decided that it was only a matter of time before you two got together."

The two occupants on the couch just stared at him as Ron chuckled again, "And people say I don't pay attention."

Hermione was clutching her hands, frantically twisting her fingers. "Healer Richards, are you saying…." she took a deep breath, "are you saying I have no choice in this at all? That Draco has no say, either?"

"On the contrary, Draco can come and go as he pleases. I'm afraid you don't understand, Hermione, _you_ already made the choice. You just don't consciously realize it, but _she_ does. It might seem like you're two different beings right now, but it will all align itself. It just takes time."

Hermione closed her eyes and searched within herself. Where before she had always done this with a certain amount of fear and shame, using careful paths to contain whatever was within, she now plowed through her psyche with pure determination.

There it was, it was tenuous, but it was a small connection. A gossamer ribbon that seemed to lead to nowhere, but she knew the destination if she were to follow it. As she withdrew, a soft voice seemed to follow her out.

_He is worthy._

She blinked and saw that Draco was watching her with concern. She gave him a shaky smile and turned her attention back to Healer Richards.

"What do you mean, 'come and go as he pleases'?"

"A consort is not bound in the way his Harpy is. She will only want and need to be with her mate. He could literally pack up the next day and move to Antarctica and feel no after effects."

Draco frowned, "After effects? What happens to the Harpy in that situation?"

The Healer lost the cheerful look. "A Harpy has extreme instinctual needs to bond and be with her Consort. If she is unable to go through the claiming, those urges continue to build until she loses all rationality and in half the cases, she forces the claiming on her mate. As you can imagine anything of that nature being non-consensual forever tarnishes any sort of bond she could have with him after those needs abate."

He gulped. "And the other half?"

The Healer watched them both intently. "Should the Consort refuse his mate and she not take the situation into her own hands, or claws as it were, she will fall into a wasting sickness. She will lose the will to eat, to sleep, and eventually - to live."

Ron wasn't laughing anymore.

Draco dropped his head in his hands. This wasn't happening. This couldn't be happening. Hermione stood from the couch and walked away from them all, her hand over her mouth, brown eyes darting everywhere.

He couldn't go to her now, they needed all the information they could get. He made sure his voice packed enough seriousness and intimidation to get the Healer talking.

"Explain the steps of this claiming. What happens?"

"It's only a few things, but they are very powerful. She will claim you through all of senses. First she'll claim through words, then in scent – not necessarily something you'll notice but any other creatures with superior sense of smell will. She'll make vocalizations that for her mate only, an odd combination of purrs and growls that others find off putting but her Consort will not. Then there is the physical claiming, but it is not only the act of sexual intercourse takes place, Harpy's mark their consorts. Again with the intent of showing those territorial tendencies they are notorious for."

Hermione gasped in horror as she turned away from them. Casting a look at the other men to remain silent, he stood up and slowly walked over to her. She jumped when he placed a hand on her shoulder.

"Hermione?"

She looked up at him, one tiny fang biting on her full bottom lip. She looked absolutely miserable, her eyes glittering with unshed tears of remorse.

"I'm so sorry Draco."

He frowned at her, "Sorry? What could you possibly be sorry about?"

"All your childhood you had been forced to do horrible things that others wanted. When you finally made a name for yourself, made your own way, someone else is trying to make you do something you don't want to do."

He scoffed, "Hermione, that's ridiculous. It's not even close to the same thing."

"Yes it is!" She swatted his hand off her shoulder. "If you go through with this….this…claiming. I'll be no better than your father! Instead of a Dark Mark, you'll carry my mark. Oh, God. I'm so sorry."

She had started to back away towards the door, definitely planning to make a run for it.

He held out a hand to her, palm up, beseeching her to come to him. "Hermione, let's just talk about this."

"No! I won't make you do this!" A single tear ran down her cheek.

Ok, he had had enough. He played by the rules and now he was doing what he always did, making his own. He lunged for her, catching her off guard enough didn't' struggle against him and apparated them out of St. Mungo's to his living room.

After his father's death two years ago in Azkaban, Draco had been left a tidy sum. Half of it he immediately gave away to aid the rebuilding efforts of the war, the other half would still last him three lifetimes, not counting what he made as an elite Auror who was part of the Ravens.

His home was comfortable, but sparse. He felt no need to return to his overly ornate roots of Malfoy Manor and display how proud and obscene his family was. He had enough comforts to feel like he lived there and belonged in the space. That was all he needed.

He had a sizable kitchen and four bedrooms with four full baths to meet any visitors needs. Not that he had that many. All that he had told his realtor was that he needed enough space to accommodate himself and the three he was closest to should they ever have the need. Ron had slept off many a night here, Hermione had fallen asleep on his couch reading, and he and Harry had played some pick up Quidditch on the fair bit of land he owned out back.

He made a beeline straight to his room. Pointedly ignoring the struggling growling woman in his arms.

"Draco! Have you lost your mind? Let me go this instant."

"No."

Hermione scoffed, "What do you mean, no? I meant what I said-"

He cut her off. "I heard what you said."

"Then why are you still hauling me around like my old school bag?"

Walking down the hallway he toed the door of his room open and walked inside. He unceremoniously tossed her on the bed and kicked the door shut behind him.

She spluttered underneath her hair as she cleared it from her face. "What in Merlin's name do you think you're doing?"

He started taking off his flak jacket while opening drawers. "I'm exhausted and seriously sore. Don't even try to lie to me, I know you are too."

She said nothing as she watched him strip off his tattered shirt.

"On top of everything else we've just had a massive amount of life changing information dropped on our heads. Instead of going off on a broom half seated, we need some time to rest and digest this information."

She was still staring at him. "Draco, why are taking your clothes off?"

He rolled his eyes, "Did you hear a single thing I just said to you? Eyes up here, Granger."

He waved the clothes at her. "Here are your pajama's."

He tossed the oversize t-shirt and sweats to her. "I am exhausted and so are you. We are going to sleep. That's it. Then, when we are rational adults again - we can have a serious conversation and figure out what we are going to do."

She opened her mouth but he didn't give her the chance, "No Hermione, I mean it. I will _stupefy_ you if I have to. "

He quickly picked out his own pajamas and stalked to his bathroom, shutting the door with more force than he intended. Taking the quickest, hottest, yet most relaxing shower of his life, he changed and walked out.

She was still sitting in the exact same spot on the bed, just watching him intently. He tossed a towel to her.

"Go take a shower, I know you want to." She clutched the clothes and towel to her chest, then sprinted off to the bathroom.

When he heard the water start, he put up some anti-apparation wards in the room and locked the bedroom door, from the outside. Once in his office, he sent a quick owl to Ron & Harry then another to Healer Richards explaining that he would contact him once he and Hermione were ready. His fireplace flared then changed color as the head of the Minister appeared, wanting an immediate update.

He expressed his apologies for not speaking with him sooner, other than what Ron had previously briefed him on there was not much to tell. The Minister informed him that the Ravens were on a mandatory week leave and that they would reconvene and determine if they were up for the next mission. He was immensely grateful for that time and expressed his thanks.

After saying goodnight to the Minister, a quick glance at the clock had him cursing at himself. Two hours had already passed.

Fully expecting to deal with an upset, or worse, Harpy Hermione, when he entered the bedroom he was surprised to find her changed and already under the covers fast asleep.

It always amazed him how small she was and yet how strong and capable she would always be.

Yawning, he put his wand on the nightstand and turned out the remaining lamp as he crawled in beside her. He sighed in relief at no longer feeling the effects of gravity on his tired muscles. Thankfully, he could feel sweet sleep pulling him under.

"Draco?" His eyes snapped open. "Hmm?"

Hermione was facing him, her wide eyes practically sparking in the dark room. She scooted closer him as she whispered. "How can you be so calm about this?"

He sighed, "Don't mistake my actions for being calm. I am anything but. You should know by now that in stressful situations, I go with only the things I can control and figure out the rest later. It's always worked for me before. Besides, it's not like we are complete strangers. I care for you Hermione."

Still making his own rules as he went along, he reached under the covers and grabbed her. Ignoring her protesting squeak as he tucked her against his side he wrapped an arm around her waist.

"Now, go to sleep and we can talk about this later. Much later."

Both of them were asleep before Hermione could attempt to agree.

* * *

**I know, it's a bit short (for me) and a bit fluffy. But I didn't want to leave you all hanging for too long (and I have extreme - "Idontwannaworkitis" it's debilitating sometimes. LOL)**

**I'm packing up my house, my office, and my own Consort will be here next week. ;) WHOO! So although I'm very very busy – I'm going to make my best effort to keep the updates coming. **

**Plus, I'm making this up as I go along. My brain fairies are fickle things and sometimes there's a riot and other times there's barely a whisper. If you've ever been a 'writer' you know exactly what I'm talking about. **

**SO many many many thanks to you all for reading, reviewing, following and PM'ing me. You amuse me greatly. **

**~Ash**


	6. Chapter 6

**Hello my delicious fangirls/boys/aliensofhumanoidappearance!**

**It's raining and I have a delicious cup of coffee so it's the perfect AshNFeathers writing environment. *sniff* Aaaaahhh, petrichor.**

**Disclaimer: I own an extreme amount of Korean Pop music, a working pink hungry-hungry hippo ring, and the fact that I cannot be left unsupervised. I *do not* own Harry Potter, Gena Showalters Harpy ideas, or the characters. I just use the internet to make them do a saucy dance for me. **

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**Chapter 6**

**"True Dragons are among the Universe's most perfect beings. This is a useful bit of information"**

**-Shawn McKenzie**

Draco slowly came back to consciousness. It was a lazy return and he clung on as long as he possibly could. It felt so good where he was, warm down to his very bones. His body was completely relaxed and his mind was blissfully silent.

He burrowed his face further into his pillow, taking a deep contented breath sinking back into the pull of sleep just as something brushed up against his cheek. Yawning, he felt the gentle tap again.

Cracking a lid, he immediately realized he was not clutching a pillow, but a body. Blinking until he could focus, his gaze was filled with soft chocolate curls.

Hermione. He was wrapped around her like a boa constrictor with one arm wrapped tightly around her waist, the other under her pillow and one leg tucked in between hers.

There was that infernal tap again.

Being careful to not wake her, he reluctantly pulled his face away from her silky tresses and saw the culprit for waking him.

As his face had been buried in her hair, it had been her wing tapping his face.

He had given Hermione one of his sleeveless undershirts to sleep in and since he was so much bigger than her, the collar dipped quite a bit in the back. Just enough to allow the delicate crest of one wing to peek out. He marveled as, much like a sunning butterfly, the wings' small little flap movements matched her breathing.

Now that he thought about it, he never had a chance to look at these wings properly and this was a perfect opportunity to do so.

With his fingertips, he traced the dusky pink crest of her forewing and was surprised at how warm and soft it was. No hint of feathers, the colors in between the delicate weaving of the veins ranged from pink to the natural cream color of her skin. Feeling more daring, he rubbed the diaphanous membrane between his thumb and forefinger and wondered at the warm satin feel to it. There was a subtle pulse that seemed to match Hermione's breathing, so he could feel her heartbeat.

Becoming braver, he slipped his arm out from under her pillow. She grumbled and started to stir, settling back into sleep within seconds. Once he was sure her breathing had evened, he tugged the undershirt back and looked down.

Her wings fit the entire expanse of her back and flattened themselves against her body as she slept. If it wasn't for those movements, no one would even notice she had them. He pondered on the purpose of such delicate things, surely they wouldn't do much in the flying department, such as they were. Sliding one hand up under the hem, he tracked the base where it appeared the fore and hind wing were fused to the sides of her spine. There was no tearing of the skin like he first thought, but seamless connections, although they did appear a little red.

Brushing his fingertips over them, Hermione shivered and purred, but still didn't wake.

Figuring he had invaded her privacy enough, he withdrew his hands and set her shirt to rights. The clock still read it to be six in the morning, much too early. Assuming his previous sleeping position he smiled as the wingtip brushed his face, it was only a few slow breaths before he was pleasantly dozing.

When Hermione woke, she was instantly alert. She was not in her bed, she was not in her bedroom, which meant she wasn't in her house. When she attempted to get out of the bed, something held her fast. Lifting the blanket and looking down, that something was a muscular arm.

She watched as that muscular arm tightened around her. "Ssh Hermione, go back to sleep."

Even rough with sleep, she knew that voice and it made her instantly relax. She laid back down and quickly spun in his hold so they were face to face.

One eyelid slowly raised, showing a small flash of silver, then lazily closed again.

"Good Morning."

That same eyelid opened, looked behind her, then back to her face. "Technically, it's afternoon."

She tried to be stealthy in her attempt to get up.

"Don't even think about it. You still need rest."

How could a man give orders like that with his eyes closed and expect them to be followed?

While she waited for him to fall back asleep so she could get up she took a leisurely moment to study her bedmate. His normally creased brow was smooth and peaceful, yet even in sleep he carried the silent authority that often intimidated others. He didn't look boyish or younger, just calm and ready.

It a look of arrogance, although, he exhibited that trait quite often. It was something under the surface, a feature that wasn't consciously recognized and his name certainly didn't help ease ay discomfort one might have felt upon meeting him.

_Beware, there be dragons._ She snickered.

"Draco?" She sung out softly. He didn't budge. This was her moment.

But when she went to wiggle away from him, her nose brushed against his collar-bone and she froze.

Draco smelled….absolutely delicious.

Hermione wasn't fully aware of her eyes going black as she skimmed her nose along the hollow of his throat. All she knew was that Draco smelled like the best batch of Amortentia. His scent was fresh ink and parchment, wood smoke, and sandalwood.

It was a heady combination that made her senses go haywire. She wanted to bask in it, rub against him until it invaded her very pores and would never wash off. She purred in delight at the idea as she went back for another whiff, it was much more concentrated in a spot directly behind his ear.

More, she had to have _more_.

When Draco was awoken again to a soft vibration against his chest and his face covered in Hermione's hair. She was half laying on him and was….was she actually sniffing his ear?

"Hermione?" She purred again he just barely stopped the shiver caused by her nose tracing his neck. He couldn't help that it was the most sensitive area on his whole body. Well, besides the other obvious area that he was doing his damned best to ignore.

Hermione practically crawled on top of him and he did not look anywhere near her chest where the undershirt was barely providing proper coverage.

She didn't move, just stared at him and inhaled slowly as her coal eyes glazed over. Her black claws were blunted and resting on his chest.

Up until this point black eyes usually meant trouble, so he remained completely still and controlled his breathing. This was part of why he had left the hospital, they needed to feel their way around this without eyes dissecting everything they did. He knew she wasn't going to hurt him on purpose, he just had to make sure nothing happened on accident that she would beat herself up for later.

He just watched her, the way her dark voluminous hair gleamed in the sunlight and one tiny white fang nibbling her bottom lip, the tips of her wings appearing just over her shoulders. If he hadn't known what she already was, he would have assumed she was some sort of fairy. When she purred again he disregarded that idea, not a fairy, a siren.

When she still didn't move he decided it was ok to talk. "You ok?"

She nodded as her heavy-lidded eyes slowly closed and she gave him a fanged grin. She gave a small shiver causing her wings to do a little shake. "_Delicious."_

He raised a platinum brow, "What's delicious?"

"_You_ _are."_

His jaw dropped open and Hermione must have taken that for invitation, she lunged at him and nuzzled his neck as she took deep draws of air. He clenched his jaw as her leisurely trail went from neck to chest. He slowly palmed the back of her head in an attempt to draw her attention back to him before he could find out if she was going any further. She pouted, but stopped her exploration.

"Explain that please."

He watched as her wings did a little snap as her brow furrowed. She didn't look angry though, just seemed to concentrate hard.

He smiled at her, "Either you tell me exactly what you meant, or I'm going to have to make an assumption that everything about me is delicious and I will tell everyone you said so."

Those starless eyes sparkled in amusement. "_Your scent."_

Interesting, he wasn't wearing cologne so she must like his natural smell.

"Tell me what you're thinking." He softened the command by resting his hands over hers but her eyes flashed.

"_No more thinking."_

Bucking up with his hips, he flipped them both until he was now caging her in and pinning her against the mattress with his weight. She tried to push him off to no avail and snapped at him in frustration.

"Now, now – enough of that. That kind of behavior is what got us here in the first place. We need to figure this out. Rationally."

She growled and he smirked, valiantly ignoring what those low vibrations did to him as he was pressed up against her.

"That doesn't scare me. Even when we thought you were just a plain old know-it-all witch, you've dealt greater damage. Talk to me."

She swallowed, then looked up into his eyes. "I-I need." That second-layering to her voice was gone. He didn't pressure her, just waited as she tried to get her bearings. She deflated and all the fight seemed to leave her.

"I can't help you if you don't talk to me."

"I feel-" She blushed then donned her familiar stubborn mask. "I feel like I have to be close to you and I need to know your scent, your heartbeat, and your voice."

Where before she was only capable of one or two words, she was on a roll now. "I need to memorize these things until they become a part of my intuitive sense of where you are. Or more importantly, if I need you, I can find you."

She blushed again, "I-I want to be near you, to touch you."

Balancing on one of his hands, he took one of her small ones, claws and all, then pressed it against his cheek. "That's such a simple thing. Why would that distress you?"

"Because of how strongly I feel it." Her eyes grew stark. "And I know you don't want this."

"Hermione." His heart ached for her. Turning his face into her palm, he kissed it. "How can you be so sure of what I want? You've yet to even ask."

She opened her mouth. "Hush. Just listen." She snapped it closed. He was getting good at taming her, not that he would ever say that out loud. To anyone.

"You're getting ahead of yourself, as far as I'm concerned this isn't all about you."

"I didn't mean-" He raised an eyebrow and she pressed her lips together. "I'm sorry."

"It's alright. But you need to realize something, as much as you are sure that this could never work there is the distinct possibility that it can."

"Just consider it for a moment. We are both unattached and clearly you are attracted to me...because I'm delicious." He winked at her and chuckled when she huffed at him.

"You're not half bad either." He let his eyes travel down her form and she blushed.

"In all seriousness, you and I both know that more is at stake here. So let's consider what we have working for us instead of against us. We're already close, closer than I've felt with any woman. We are both intelligent and never have to worry about our careers getting in the way since we are on the same team. We've each had to take care of the other when in a crisis and you know I trust you with my life. Why can't we try and make this work?"

He had her full attention now. "We can set whatever pace we like, as slow or as fast as it needs to be, but I'll be with you every step of the way. I am not being forced into anything I'm not willingly walking into with both eyes open."

He steadied himself for what he said next, "If I had the opportunity to hand pick the woman I would spend the rest of my life with, she might have been your twin. The only exception being she _wouldn't _punch me in the nose. You are an extraordinary woman who is unbelievably courageous and has a heart of solid gold. We deserve to see this through. We could make each other happy."

Her eyes sparkled and he shushed her. "Don't cry. You're going through something I cannot even imagine and clearly someone out there thinks we should give it a shot."

She sniffled. "If we are to do this, I have to know something. Would you have every considered us being together if it wasn't for…..well...me?"

He thought about that. "Honestly? I can't ever say if I would or not. But don't take that as a dismissal, please. Would you have every considered being with me?"

She shrugged. "Exactly, we could have just orbited around each other being comfortable in our current status because we've always been there. There was never any question if one of us was in trouble that the other would come running. We've had the makings of a relationship right in front of us the entire time, we just had to make the first step."

He groaned. "Damn it all."

"What?"

"If this works, I'm going to have to deal with Weasley's gloating face for decades." He didn't have the heart to be too upset when she giggled.

He looked straight into her eyes, willing his to show everything he felt behind his next words. "I promise you Hermione, we'll figure this out. I don't care what certain Healers have to say about it or any well meaning expectations others may have for us. I'll not have you turned into some scientific study or our future relationship idle talk. If we do this, we do this together."

A small light lit up in her eyes, "Just you and me?"

He leaned down and kissed her forehead, his lips brushing against her skin as he promised, "Just you and me, sweetheart. You and me."

They decided to spend the week together since they had some time off. It would give them the opportunity to get more comfortable with Hermione's _other_ demands, should they arise.

Being on all their previous excursions as Ravens meant that they were completely comfortable being in each other's company for days. Spending that amount of time with someone made it much easier than if they were trying to date someone completely new. They knew each other's likes, dislikes, quirky habits and body language well enough to read any situation. In that aspect, they were well ahead of the game, it was just the physicality that they had to attempt.

They had tried sleeping in separate bedrooms. Hermione had even gone to her flat to get some things and put them in the spare bedroom as a silent declaration of her intentions.

That first night, he awoke to find Hermione crawling into his bed trembling. Apparently she had tried to make herself stay away from him, much to her detriment. He wrapped his arms around her, tucking the blankets tightly in an effort to warm her while chastising her for waiting too long.

He knew that he had always been keenly aware of Hermione, but now he had developed a second sense to her presence. He constantly paid attention to her to see if she was pushing herself to hard and never let her get away with it when she did. Repeating their mantra of, "you and me" to remind her of where he stood.

Since that evening, he and Hermione could always be found in close proximity to each other. They ate breakfast together in the mornings and usually read together in his study in the afternoons or reminisced until dinner where they took evening walks on the grounds. Then, they went to bed often laughing at how they would always wake tangled up in each other.

Small demonstrations of affection were quickly becoming a habit for both of them now. Holding hands was second nature and she no longer looked shocked when he gave her cheek or forehead a quick peck. They also discovered that when she was feeling particularly needy, a long hug did wonders.

Her wings and her claws never went away. Her claws now just looked like dark polished fingernails if one didn't look too closely. They would curl and sharpen when she was in a particular pique.

They were to meet up with Ron and Harry tomorrow afternoon and then the next day, they had their meeting with the Minister. He was confident that Hermione was going to do well when it came to controlling herself, but she wasn't as convinced.

As they were reading that afternoon, her feet resting in his lap as they read together on the couch she blurted out. . "Why don't we go out shopping? "

He looked up from his book with a raised eyebrow. "Shopping?"

She wiggled her toes as she started to get excited over her idea, "Yes, shopping. The repeated transaction of goods for payment."

He rolled his eyes. "Where exactly did you want to go?"

She grinned at him, "I was thinking we could go to Diagon Alley and add to your book collection. I thought I was a voracious reader but I'm pretty sure you and I have almost read everything in this study over the last few days."

He closed his book, resting it on the arm of the sofa as he considered it. She started to get nervous that he didn't want to go.

"We can stop and get lunch too and of course if you wanted to buy anything, we can. I just thought that-"

He raised a hand to silence her. "Just promise me something?"

He laughed at her as he saw her eyes widen in earnest as she nodded readily. "Promise me we will not go shopping for clothing, anything but that. I have spent enough of my life in the witch's robes department to ever be willing to do it again."

She laughed with delight and hugged him. "I promise."

The next day they woke up early and Hermione decided she would take some extra time to get ready. It had been a long time since she had gone out just for the sake of getting out of the house and if she was honest with herself, she also had to get serious about this Consort business. If Draco was going to be her mate, she wanted to make him proud to have her on his arm.

She chose her favorite set of robes, a dark cerulean satin that was fitted around her chest and hips, then gracefully flare out at the arms and legs. Not only was it extremely generous to her figure but extremely comfortable as well.

She decided to leave her hair down, thankfully the once curse of a feature had turned into one of her best. She just simply pulled some back to keep it out of her face and she was ready to go. The large brown mermaid coils simply doing all the work for her as they fell down her back.

There was only one problem, her wings. Around the house she had taken to wearing Draco's undershirts, thankfully he never seemed to mind. She finally figured out how to wear a bra, she had to make sure the straps stayed on the outside of her shoulder and the clasp in the back settled between her fore and back wings. She didn't want to think about what she would have been forced to do if her wings hadn't come in two parts.

Sighing, she took a look at her robes again. She hoped that her wings would flatten enough so they wouldn't be a problem, but if they started to come loose? While she slept Draco told her they flattened themselves against her back but sometimes she noticed that if she was pressed up against something to tightly for too long, she would get restless and need to move. Picking up her wand from her thigh holster, she contemplated on which spells would be appropriate to cut into the material then bind it back together so it would not fray or tear if those adjustments were needed.

The bathroom door burst open, Draco casually walked through it as he was throwing on a white long-sleeved Oxford. Hermione was too shocked to move or say anything, once it was tugged over his head his gaze locked with hers and he froze.

Draco was absolutely positive he was about to die, there was no way he was seeing this spectacular display and he wasn't going to suffer horribly for it later. Hermione was standing there, in nothing but dark blue undergarments and her wand's holster strapped to her thigh. Her glorious hair was flowing down her back and he swallowed as his eyes raked over her delectably curvy form.

Stunning. Absolutely stunning.

His throat went dry at the blush he saw that was turning the creamy skin on the swell of her breasts pink.

Breasts. Hermione. Dark blue.

_Shit. _

He immediately shut his eyes. "Sorry! I'm so sorry! I didn't realize you were in here. I'll just-"

Draco stumbled out of the bathroom and hastily made his way down stairs. Determined to put some distance between himself and Hermione because if he had stood there two more seconds...

Hermione's wide eyes and pinkened face stared back at her from the mirror. Then slowly, the pink started to fade and a mischievous smile curled her lips. For in those few seconds she had seen those silver eyes spark as his pupils dilated, that electric gaze alighting her skin as he took her in. He had even licked his lips before he had snapped out of his stupor.

Her Consort had liked what he saw and his Harpy purred in delight.

* * *

**I've been thinking (A dangerous pastime, I know.) – my personal reading preference is I am 100% comfortable with 'adult situations of a sexual nature', however, I 100% respect that it is not everyone's cup of tea. **

**I be lovin' you all dearly, so here's the heads up. This rating may/probably/most likely change to 'M' – however, do not panic! It's not going to suddenly turn into some raunchy smut fest where you feel like you've just experienced mental porn and you need to confess your sins afterwards because you now know some street slang for certain parts of male and female anatomy. **

**It's too soon in the story ;).**

**So I've got a couple of options before me, I can leave the rating as is and flirt with the boundaries as much as I can get away with – then make two 'versions' of the chapter and send those that want it the more…explicit…material. More work on my part, but it's doable. **

**_OR _****– I can change the rating and promise you all it will be as tasteful and respectful to lovemaking as possible. But there will be no 'fade to black.' (This is the more likely option, honestly – because I feel it does have a place in the story to demonstrate some of the intensity around the claiming that I would like to portray.)**

**If something like that will truly, honest to goodness, bother you – then send me a PM and let me know so I can either warn you or make some other accommodations. **

**~Ash **


	7. Chapter 7

**Hellloooooooooooo there!**

**Wellllllll - I'm finally somewhat established in my new Californian abode. Had to get everything set back up and they actually tried to tell me I had no internets - SAY WHAT? AW, HELL NO! Luckily, I finally figured it out and I'm able to stream my movies and write my fan fiction. **

**Earthlings shall live another day.**

**Without further ado…(You already know I don't own this, I hope.)**

* * *

**Chapter 7**

**"A young woman has young claws, well sharpened. If she has character, that is. And if she hasn't so much worse for you."**

**-Henri Matisse **

Hermione didn't know whether to laugh or cry after two hours of their shopping excursion. Draco was all politeness, yet he refused to look her in the eyes. He had apologized profusely before they had floo'd over and now he was as skittish as a colt.

It was driving her absolutely crazy. He held open doors, carried her bags, reached for books that were on high shelves - all without once touching her. She was surprisingly unembarrassed and found herself being completely relaxed, it was an interesting twist. Deciding to give the poor man a break she willing walked into Quality Quidditch Supplies, ignoring the raised platinum blonde eyebrows behind her.

Perusing the goods, she pretended to know what she was looking at.

"See anything you like?" She jumped, Draco was so close behind her she could feel his warmth against her back. But she did not attempt to move away from him.

Looking up, the top of her head almost brushed against his jaw line. "Not particularly. You?"

"There's a few brooms, but I still think the latest model Harry and I have are better. I do need to get another broom care kit."

They walked together towards the aisle where the handle wax, trimming shears, and bindings were. While flying was not her favorite pastime, she was still fascinated by all the shapes, colors and sizes of accessories available. While looking at a particular binding that Ginny would love since it looked rather Griffindor-ish, a loud squeal made her jump.

"Oh my goodness! It's Draco Malfoy!"

Draco let out a sigh yet didn't attempt to acknowledge the speaker.

"Draco! Draco Malfoy, I'd know that platinum hair anywhere. It's been _ages_."

Hermione looked up at Draco and bit her lip to stifle a giggle. The look in his eyes was almost pleading that they ignore the female voice and exit the shop, or better yet - apparate.

Slim fingers tapped him on the shoulder and he finally, slowly, turned. Hermione's view was blocked by his broad shoulders.

"Astoria, pleasure as always." She was always impressed with how he was able to recall the bored and filthy rich drawl at will.

A high-pitched giggle made her roll her eyes. "I'm so glad you remember me. It's been a few years since Hogwarts hasn't it?"

"Yes, yes it has."

"Well I'll tell you how I've been since you haven't asked, Daphne has gone and gotten herself married last year."

"Did she now? That's good."

She heard Astoria let out a overly dignified sniff, "It's not good. It's dreadfully boring. I'm still single you know."

Draco's shoulders stiffened as he took a breath to prepare whatever subtle rebuff he could, Hermione decided to cut her mate a break. Drawing her hand along his shoulder blade she peeked around.

"Draco, darling, I'm exhausted. Are you ready to go?" She pretended not to notice the blonde that was now looking between the two of them to ascertain what their exact relationship was. She kept her hand on his chest and put her best innocent look.

Draco looked down at the woman in front of him, torn between enjoying her attentions and laughing outright at her behavior. Out of the corner of his eye he noticed Astoria frowning in his direction.

Cupping Hermione's cheek he winked at her. "I'm all set, love."

Astoria cleared her throat and Hermione faked a little startle. "Oh! I didn't see you there. Hello Astoria! How's your family?" She gave her sweetest close-lipped smile, to prevent from exposing her new mouth accessories.

The witch, who was about two inches taller than Hermione, stared down at her. "Fine, thank you. Draco and I were just discussing how droll it can be when you are single."

She almost rolled her eyes at the significant twist of words, yet she kept her smile. "Really?" She turned to Draco, "Were you discussing Ron then? He's still single, perhaps we can invite you to lunch one day and you and he can chat?"

Draco had to swallow to keep the laugh down at Astoria's horror-struck expression.

"It was nice chatting with you Astoria, but Hermione and I need to head back home before it gets too late."

Hermione covered her mouth as she feigned yawning, "Yes, I'm exhausted and it's all your fault Draco."

He raised an eyebrow, "My fault? How is it my fault?"

She stepped away from him, giving him her sauciest smile. Which if observed closely enough, gave him a glimpse of fang as she tossed her curls over one shoulder. "You know exactly why it's your fault. Make your purchases and take me home." She waved at Astoria and spun on her heel, devilish hips swaying as she swept out of the aisle.

If Astoria wasn't witness to that little display, his jaw would have willingly hit the floor. As it was, he needed to exit the stage as quickly as possible.

He turned to the blushing blonde, "Excuse me Miss Greengrass, but my witch will not appreciate waiting for long. Have a good evening!"

Exiting the shop, he followed the amused cackles around the corner. "You proud of yourself?"

Hermione had her back against the wall, eyes alight with glee and unsuccessfully trying to control her snickers. Her cheeks had a becoming flush to them from her amusement.

He just leaned his shoulder against the brick, letting her get it all out. Finding something flutter in his chest as he watched her so free with her expressions.

Once she was calm, she patted her hair in place and wiped her eyes. "Well, that certainly made my day."

"I can see that."

"Oh hush, I had to do something, she was laying it on a little thick."

He rubbed the back of his neck in embarrassment, "You know I had nothing to do with that."

She smiled at his unease. "I know, now that I've terrorized yet another female who is interested in you, I find myself famished."

Pushing off the wall, he held his elbow out to her. "Fancy a bite at the Three Broomsticks?"

When he thought she would just rest her palm in the crook of his arm, he was pleasantly surprised when she wrapped her arm through his, locking him to her.

"Lead the way."

As soon as they stepped through the front door, a loud red-headed voice boomed. "Oi! Hermione!"

Harry and Ron were sitting at their own table, readily making room for them as Ron went to the bar to get them drinks.

Harry watched Hermione with that careful, studious look he always had and seemed to see something he liked as his features eased.

"Well Hermione, you sure are looking better. How is everything?"

Hermione, who was in the process of removing her cloak, handed it to Draco and smiled in thanks as he hung it on the back of her chair.

"It's a work in progress, going better than expected."

He raised an eyebrow causing Hermione to blush. Sometimes it irked Draco as he watched Harry and Hermione have their silent conversations, but it appeared right about now he knew exactly what that eyebrow meant.

"Mind out of the gutter, Potter. She means that she is able to be around others with more ease. The others we are working on."

Hermione sighed. "Well, we've got a few more days until we have to meet with the Minister. I should be able to muster up enough to go through a debriefing."

Harry tensed and Draco raised an eyebrow. "What is it?"

Ron plonked down in his chair, sliding their drinks over a little too hard. Draco's lightening reflexes caught Hermione's before it would spill all over her robes. He was rather fond of that color on her.

Ron's gaze darted between the two of them then he turned to Harry. "Well did you tell them?"

He felt Hermione stiffen at his side, "Tell us what?"

Harry ran his hands through his hair, "I was getting to that before you came stomping over."

"Getting to what?" Hermione hissed, Draco placed his arm over the back of her chair, more than willing to let her interrogate them.

"Well, we met with the Minister yesterday. He had already spoken to Draco and Ron previously but he wanted to know the full extent of your….condition."

Ron nodded, "Yeah, he wanted to know exactly what the Healer said and what it what it meant for you mental, physical, and magical abilities."

Hermione paled and Draco put his palm on her back, rubbing softly in a silent show of support.

"Is my position on the Ravens in jeopardy?" He pulled her closer to him.

Harry violently shook his head. "No, the opposite in fact. He expressed serious interest in what you are capable of and he's hoping that once you are in full control of all of your," he waved his hands in the air, "abilities, he mentioned that he wanted to utilize your skills a lot more in the future."

Draco frowned. "What exactly does that mean."

Ron shrugged, "From what we can gather, he's going to want some sort of exhibition to see her maximum abilities and then my guess is our missions are going to get a lot more dangerous."

Hermione looked to the man that she considered her closest brother, "How does Ginny feel about all this, Harry?"

Harry looked at the scarred wooden table-top and slowly drew circles in it with his fingertips, "She's not happy about it, but she understood the nature of our positions when all this started. She did get a hell of a kick out of you being a Harpy, she wanted me to tell you too bad you are such rubbish on a broom or you could be their mascot."

Hermione rolled her eyes, "Ha ha."

Draco's hand trailed down her back as he leaned forward on the table, his fingertips leaving a trail of sizzling heat that she just barely withheld a shiver.

"So what does this mean for Hermione? Do we know what sort of trails they are going to put her through?"

Ron took a drink before he spoke, "They are going to run her through the basic protocols of spell work and dueling, just to make sure her magic didn't take a hit. Then I imagine they are going to test her physical abilities since we've all witnessed her speed and….thoroughness. How they plan to do that though, we have no idea."

Draco turned to look at her, his silver eyes serious. He was asking her if she was ready for whatever they had planned for her. When she gave him what she hoped was her best smile, he nodded and looked back at the other two wizards.

"Tell us what else we've missed."

Both enthusiastically got back into the business of updating their missing duo, making up for lost time and to all outsiders looking as if nothing else had changed.

Two hours later, Hermione and Draco popped back into the study. Hermione slumped onto the couch while Draco placed their purchases on the desk.

Rubbing her face with her hand as she sighed, she turned to face the fireplace. Letting the myriad of oranges, reds, and yellows calm her chaotic mind. She would never admit it, but she was worried.

Two warm hands landed on her thighs and brown met grey. Draco was kneeling in front of her, studying her face carefully. "Why don't you tell me what you're fretting over?"

She opened her mouth to reply but he interrupted her, "And don't tell me it's nothing. Because it is the exact opposite." She snapped her mouth shut. Insufferable know-it-all of a man.

"Ok, I am worried."

He smiled, "Yes, we've established that. What about?"

"I worked so hard for so many years to keep myself under control. And now I have to figure out a balance between the two, just when I wrap my head around that - I'm soon going to be asked to unleash everything. I just-"

She shivered clasped her hands tightly as she looked down at her lap. Draco cupped her cheek, raising her head bringing her gaze to his. His thumb brushing her cheekbone.

"Just what, Hermione?"

She bit her lip, "What if…what if I unleash something, something so horrible that I cease to exist?"

Her voice trembled as she struggled to get out her real fear, "What if….I can't come back, I'll just be…..gone." A lone tear slid down her cheek.

Draco pulled her to him, wrapping his arms tightly around her as warm tears continued to slid down her cheeks. He kissed her forehead.

"Hermione Granger, you are one of the strongest witches on this planet. Certainly one of the smartest I have ever known, but if there's anything I know about you, it's this: you meet any challenge brought before you. Not just meet it, but exceed all expectations. Nothing and no one will ever stop you. Want to know how I know that?"

She nodded. "Because I know you. And you you know what else?"

"I know that no matter what shall happen, you have me."

She wrapped her arms around his neck and clung to him, Draco just held his Harpy witch until long after the fire had reduced to cold ashes.

* * *

**Phew. A little fluff, a little laughs, and a little bit of plot furthering. Not as long as I usually have them but I'm back 'at work' which means I have to get up at 6am in order to be on correct East Coast Time….ugh. **

**I appreciate everyone's patience and as it happens - I'm going to beg for a bit more. As if it wasn't enough to pack up my entire life and move thousands of miles away from my family just as my husband returns...**

**I got another surprise: **

**I, AshesNFeathers, am going to be a ****MOM****!…..WHOA. I never thought I'd see that in black and white. Had to read it three times after I typed it.**

**So you're gonna have an already slightly insane female trying to muddle her way through California and getting her home just how she likes it with a twist of added crazy trying to make space in her mind to write and write well. (Thank you, breeding hormones.)**

**Super mucho gracias for reading. I am ever so fond of each and every one of you.**

**Have a great week my dears!**

**~Ash**


	8. Chapter 8

**Hi, Howdy, Greetings, Good Day/Afternoon/Evening. How the hell are ye? **

**I know, I know, it's been…almost a month. But in my defense - my developing spawn has turned me into a zombie. I do nothing but sleep. I went from being a famous insomniac to damn near narcolepsy. So even when I get an idea and I trudge over to my laptop, my body instead turns on a history channel documentary and I'm out like a light. **

**It would be funny if it wasn't happening to ME. **

**I don't own these characters and I totally have borrowed bits and pieces of my other favorite books to make a patchwork of passable awesome. I *do* own a 7ft bean bag that I refer to as 'my nest' and can be found there on many occasions sleeping and being all gross with my mouth open. **

**To add to my faults, I wanted to get this out ASAP so my read-through was quick. Sorry about any mistakes. **

* * *

**Chapter 8**

**"Speak politely to an enraged dragon."**

**J.R.R. Tolkien**

Hermione spent the next few days of her leave mentally preparing herself for any possible scenario she could perceive the Ministry training officers would throw at her, reciting all the defensive and offensive spells she had at her disposal.

Draco would often chuckle while watching her practice wand motions as she stirred her tea, muttering to herself.

In the evenings, they dueled on the back property until they were both covered in sweat and quite a few bruises. Her's would be gone by morning but Draco now had permanent stock in George and Fred's old bruise paste.

She winced when she thought about the particularly bad one she had to help heal that was between his shoulder blades. She apologized for a full hour after the incident until he threatened to sleep in one of the guest rooms.

She had to stop thinking about it, she had to keep training. Brushing herself off she crouched into a defensive position.

"Again."

"Hermione," Draco panted, hands on his knees. "I think we need to take a break."

She growled in frustration. "No, again."

Appearing without a care in the world Draco stood to his full height, flicking off some remaining blades of grass on his shoulder. Instantly her ire was raised,did he not realize how important this was to her? To the entire team?

"Hermione, you've been going at it non-stop. Only ceasing to eat when I insist and falling asleep at the table, your face almost lying in your food. You don't even wake when I pick you up and put you to bed and when you do, it starts all over again. You're pushing yourself too hard, too soon."

She narrowed his eyes at him and hissed, "Are you saying I'm weak?"

He shook his head, white blonde locks falling in his eyes. "No, not at all. But you won't be at your best and all I'm asking for is an evening of rest. Just one, Hermione."

She shoved past him, back to the clearing they had created for when they practiced. "If you can't handle it, I'll do this on my own."

A hand grabbed her bicep, "Hermione."

Without thinking, she lashed out with her claws, barely missing Draco's chest as he leapt back. His silver eyes wide with alarm. Remorse instantly filled her as she covered her mouth with her clawed hands.

"Draco, I'm so sorry." She took at step forward to apologize, her heart stopping when he reflexively took a step back staring between her and the house. His eyes eyes bouncing back and forth like he couldn't make a decision about where he wanted to go.

He ran a hand through his hair, "This, this is what I'm talking about Hermione. I'm the last person you should lash out at. You're not rational. That means you'll get someone or yourself hurt."

She took another step toward him, whimpering slightly when he took another step back. "I'm sorry Draco."

Putting his hands in his pockets, he sighed as he looked down at the ruined lawn. "If you're not going to listen to me, I'm not going to stand here and watch you fail." His shoulders straightened and the look her gave her was not Draco the Consort, but Draco the Raven. "You either use your head and listen to those trying to help you, or you ruin everything we've worked for since the war because you're too frightened to listen."

With that, he turned on his heel and headed back towards the house. She could do nothing but watch him, part of her in shock at his words and the other bewildered. She knew he was right but didn't know what else to do, whenever she had a problem she over prepared her body and her mind with knowledge so that she was never caught off guard.

Yes, she was an excellent dueler and her magic was as strong as ever. But when it came to her new _enhancements_ she had no clue how they would attempt to trigger her abilities during her test trials at the Ministry. Bringing shaking hands up to her face she crumbled onto the ground.

She could hardly grasp it, everything was moving so fast. The changes within her body, her relationship with Draco and what this would mean for the rest of their lives…however long that was. She didn't have enough time to wrap her emotions and her brain around it.

The clock was ticking and at this moment, Hermione would give her wand for a time-turner.

Growling at her own uselessness, she took stock in what she did know. First thing, Draco was right, if her temper remained on a hair trigger she would not be able to control her magic or her Harpy attributes. Her body retained it's physical ability and that really was only enhanced, her reflexes and reaction times faster than they ever were. Draco had told her that instead of her moves taking on a practiced mechanical air, which was still effective, she now looked like she was engaging in a deadly dance. Her grace was unparalleled.

So if she had confidence in her abilities, what was she so worried about? Taking a deep cleansing breath, she let her thoughts go unchecked through her mind. As the new fears melted away, the old ones came to the fore. The constant fear of losing control, of not reigning in enough of her anger, sense of personal justice causing irreparable damage to the ones she loved. What if one day she became unhinged? Who would put her down? Ron? Harry? What would happen to Draco if their bond was made complete.

She had to believe that if she maintained enough of her skills so that they are mere muscle memory, it would make the information easier to access when she wasn't - when she wasn't Hermione.

She sighed, she didn't like that conclusion, but it was what she had and she often had been thrown in situations where she had less than this. Draco was right, which means - she owed him a massive apology. Hopping up on her feet, she trudged to the house in search of her Consort.

Draco didn't like having to be harsh and cold towards Hermione, but he had little choice. She had too much power to wield and she was too brilliant to be coddled and allowed to ruin herself. Which means he needed to snap her out of whatever mental flagellation she had going on and then leave her to think. It's how she always worked, she needed a moment to categorize and organize herself. Like a magical library codex that could rearrange itself by title, subject or author, based on the needs of the user. She just had to refile it all and then she would see.

He hoped.

In the meantime, his sore muscles were screaming at him to take a shower. He was exhausted and his body hurt from the the constant beating it took at Hermione's instance. He was always willing to assist, but potions, poultices, and lotions only went so far. He wasn't' kidding when he told Hermione she needed a break, they both did.

Trudging up the stairs he turned on the hot water as he stripped out of his grass stained clothing. Walking directly under the spray, he groaned as the hot water began to do it's work. As he ducked his head under the relentless beat of the water, he didn't hear the bathroom door opening.

Upon entering the house, Hermione's hearing allowed her to pinpoint where Draco was. Was he still angry? There was only one way to find out. Following the trail of muddy boots and soiled clothing, she peered around the corner to see broad pale shoulders and a wet white-blonde head tipped downward. She was glad that there was enough steam to cover the shower glass, the last thing she needed was lustful curiosity to distract her. It was bad enough the humidity allowed his scent to carry stronger in the air, resting on her skin, making her feel like she was coated in it.

She couldn't stop the purr if she tried. Unfortunately, it wasn't as quiet as she thought and seemed to echo throughout the room. The muscles in his back stiffened and his head turned to the side. "Hermione?"

She cleared her throat, "It's me. I just…..I wanted to talk." Walking over to the marble counter top, she perched herself in-between the two sinks as she tried and failed not to notice the blurry _naked_ outline of Draco in the shower. Focus, had to focus.

"I wanted to apologize for my behavior. You're right. I need to be more careful."

Draco brought his hands up on the tile and sighed as he leaned his strong back muscles twitching under the water. She watched the bulge of his biceps and the profile of his aristocratic facial features with rapt fascination, how had she not noticed how fantastic looking he was? He never failed to capture her full attention when he was in the room. Certainly, she attempted to make it look like she wasn't paying any attention, but there was no denying that she was quickly becoming obsessed with the way his quiet commanding presence made her heart skip a beat.

Turning off the water, Draco slid the door open just enough to put his arm through, reaching out to grab a towel before quickly wrapping it around his hips. Stepping out, he grabbed a smaller towel and began to dry his hair. Hermione began to feel anxiety in the pit of her stomach. Was he truly that angry with her?

Draco draped the towel over his shoulder, his platinum gaze searing into hers as he slowly walked up to her. She watched him, the distinct feeling of being prey making her stock still, her heart sounding like a drum in her ears. When he placed his hands on the outside of her thighs, her knees instinctively widened to allow room for his hips allowing him to be that much closer.

His gaze was far too intense and she had to look away. Draco was so much bigger than she was and it meant that if she wasn't looking at his face then she had no choice but to gawk his defined chest where water droplets were still dripping down to his rippling abs, down to a light trail of pale hair from his navel and disappearing beneath the towel.

She could feel her body heating up and her clawed fingers digging into the edge of the countertop. Forcing her gaze back up, she was instantly sobered when she remembered how her hands had lashed out at that defined chest. Her eyes watered with remorse as she brought up one hand to lightly run her fingertips across his warm skin.

Draco shivered and she dropped her hand, finally looking back up into his eyes. "I cannot tell you how sorry I am Draco."

He silently watched her and she took that as her queue to continue. "You're right, I am afraid, terrified even. And try as I might I can't shake it, it's all happening so fast and I am so worried that I'll lose control and in return - lose myself."

One of his brows furrowed, but he still did not say anything. "My biggest fear is I'll no longer be the Hermione that you know and that whatever I unleash in my wake, the chaos will be too much and I won't be able to be stopped. You'll have to destroy me to stop me."

He moved then, his hands rubbing soothing circles on her thighs as she spoke. "We've been through so much and I can't have you, Harry or Ron go through that all because I couldn't keep it together. So yes, I keep pushing myself to prepare for the worst, because I know what lies inside me. I know what it is capable of, no one else."

Leaning forward,he kissed her forehead, lips still touching her skin as he murmured, "We've talked about this and we are all here to help you. You are correct, I don't understand. So tell me, sweetheart. Give me all the brutal uncensored details so we know exactly what you are capable of and when you've reached your limits. But you can't keep this all inside."

She nodded, "I know."

Kissing her forehead once more he stepped back so he could meet her gaze again. "Hermione, you and I are going to spend a peaceful day doing absolutely nothing. You are going to sleep in, I'll make breakfast and for the rest of the day you are not allowed to pick up a wand or ponder on proper dueling strategies. If I have to, I will tie you down and sit on you."

She laughed, "Yes sir." Slipping the towel off his shoulder she began drying his hair and he obliging bent down to allow her access. Finger combing it in place once it was no longer damp, she was again reminded how beautiful of a man Draco was. His strong body, sharp wit and intellect, his mouth-watering scent and those soul piercing silver tinted eyes that at that very moment, were hinted with starlight. She licked her lips as she thought of where they were and his lack of clothing. Unable to stop herself, she put her hands on his shoulders and frantically brought her lips to his.

Hermione distantly remembered the giggled gossip of her dorm mates while in Hogwarts as they compared first kisses and other teenage rights of passage. She used to scoff at the idea of swooning just by the act of putting one's lips on another. Yet when Draco cupped the back of her head and pulled her to hip to deepen the kiss, it put all those giggles and gasps of female pleasure to shame. Electricity seemed to flow between the two, bouncing in an arc from one to the other, picking up in intensity that she would not be surprised if the very air around them crackled and sparked.

Her hands developed wants and needs of their own as they wrapped around his waist, clutching him to her as his lips expertly made her into a puddle then built her back up for her to silently demand more. His fingers wove into her hair and his other hand settled low on her back as they were chest to chest the hearts beating out a dual frantic rhythm.

Just as suddenly as it began, Draco's hold on her eased. His kisses became less urgent as he slowed their pace until they both separated for a much needed breath. Their foreheads touching as they could taste their combined air.

Draco cleared his throat, "That was…"

Hermione smiled. "Yes, yes it was."

Letting his fingers trail through her hair, he brought her close into a hug. "I think we both need some rest." Picking her up from the counter, he walked them both back into the bedroom gently settling her down on the bed as he walked into the closet. Returning clad in black pajama bottoms he handed Hermione her own nightgown as he bent to untie her boots. As he was putting her boots away in the closet she quickly changed into the gown, sighing at the soft material against her skin and climbing into bed. Draco muttered a quick spell to extinguish the lights and then light a fire in the fireplace, the golds and reds making the bedding gleam.

The bed dipped as Draco lifted the blankets and slipped under them, he reached out for Hermione and brought her closer to his side, kissing her once before settling in. Her head laying on his chest, she falls into a peaceful sleep with the heat of the flames and the steady beat of his heart beneath her ears.

Maybe she could do this after all.

* * *

***Fans self* Gotta love a good kiss from a towel clad wizard. **

**Thanks everyone for all the comments, PMs, favorites, etc. (- I said that with my 'King and I' ET-SET-TA-RAH! voice) It's so mother-truckin' (I'm trying to watch my language, not always successfully.) AWESOME!**

**And thanks for your patience as I deal with constantly being in a semi-coma, where slurring is not sexy. Damn. **

**Adieu, my little droplets of sweetness! Adieu!**

**~Ash**


	9. Chapter 9

**Hi my super-fantastic-epically-awesome readers!**

**Phew, ok, I'm back and out of my first trimester. Whoo! It's crazy, you feel like your possessed then suddenly it's all good. I totally felt like that extra scene from Beauty and the Beast's "Human Again" song. **

**Allow me to set the scene: **

**Me (as Cogsworth):  
When I'm human again  
Only human again  
When the world once more making sense  
I'll unwind for a change**

**My husband (as Lumiere):  
Really? That'd be strange!**

**Me (as Cogsworth):  
Can I help it if I'm t-t-tense?**

**Which after few months I'll be more likely singing the part of the huge dresser as I fantasize about not carrying around my spawn on the inside: **

**I'll wear lipstick and rouge  
And I won't be so huge  
Why, I'll easily fit through that door!**

**If you wondering if I really do terrorize my family with real life musical breaks– yes. Always. And deep down, they appreciate the hell out of it. **

* * *

Chapter 9

_"Most women defend themselves. It is the female of the species, it is the tigress and lioness in you, which tends to defend when attacked."_

_-Margaret Thatcher_

She took a deep cleansing breath through her nose as she surveyed the area around her. She could observe several traps, wards, and spell nets that would delay and confuse her. Those she could easily handle it was what she couldn't see that bothered her the most.

Quickly braiding her hair, she scanned the area again. About the size of quidditch field it was similar to her qualifications board she had to pass in order to be part of the Ravens. The difference now was not the worry of getting accepted, but the possibility of failing due to her new…makeover.

Shaking her head before she went down that spiral of self defeat, she reached down to where her wand rested snuggly in her holster.

She realized Draco was right, when it came down to it Hermione always trusted herself and what she knew, even when then odds and facts seemed against her. Each and every time she came out victorious. This would be no different, this would just require the mastering of her body and it's newfound urges to be completely and utterly vicious.

She had spent the last few remaining hours before meeting with the Minister in quiet contemplation. If she were being honest with herself, this new deep seated need for justice wasn't entirely a new concept to her, even in childhood. How many times had strange things happened in her home when she was angry before she found out she was a muggle born witch? How many mirrors broken, light bulbs exploding or flickering whenever her temper got the best of her?

That had to be the reason she was put in Gryffindor instead of Ravenclaw. The sorting hat must have recognized that her intelligence and reason only tempered the flame of action and for that small favor she would be eternally grateful. She would most certainly not be where she was if she had been put in any other house. She may not even be alive.

A subtle wind blew and she caught the woodsy scent of her mate and it relaxed her further. She knew he wouldn't be far and at first she was concerned that their argument would cause friction between them. Merlin knew as well as they worked together, they could clash like no other. Draco seemed to intuitively know when to bend and when she was the one that needed to break out of her shell and push accordingly.

It all seemed terribly one-sided. Here he was being told to permanently attach to a woman as his lifelong mate or she would die. And this mate could literally bite off the head of anyone that double crossed her, except for him. He was signing on to be a lifetime lion tamer. For a fleeting moment, she had a horrifying mental picture of herself as one of those praying mantis insects that devoured the male after copulating.

Charming. _Really._

Blinking away that image, she heard and smelled the Minister before he approached her. She did a mental check in and found that she was neither disturbed nor interested in his presence. Good.

He approached her side and shoved his large hands into his robes, "So Miss Granger, are you sure you are ready to take on this endeavor so soon? There is no shame in asking for time."

She knew better, to ask for more leave would mean weakness. As much autonomy as the Ravens had, they were required to bend to the will of the Minister and the Minister alone.

"No sir, I believe I am fully capable of taking on this task. In fact, I've been looking forward to testing out my new abilities."

Out of the corner of her eye she watched the wizard absently nod as he focused out on the pitch. His bushy white mustache twitching as he looked around.

"Good, good. Just wanted to make sure you were ready, we expect to begin in a few moments. Wait for the sound of the horn, then go. You are being timed as well as analyzed for your efficiency in movement, dueling, spell casting, and environmental damage control."

He paused and his moustache twitched again, reminding her of a frightened rabbit. "We are mostly concerned with your newfound strength and ability to control your actions when under physical and…emotional distress. If we find you are beyond control testing will cease immediately and you will be put under a stasis spell until you are rational. Do you understand?"

She told him she understood as she analyzed what he said. Something in that slight pause caught her attention but before she had time to really thing about it, the horn had sounded.

She was off like a shot. Her speed for once matched her brains ability to compartmentalize all the different facets of the battlefield and dispatch physical and spell traps with ease while looking ahead to the next target.

Too easy.

Then there was movement to her right and she easily dodged the _stupefy_ that had been meant for her. Not a moment later another spark whizzed toward her from the left where she gracefully crouched as it sailed over her head. She gave a white fanged grin of triumph.

She was going to beat this. Hermione the Harpy was going to succeed.

From then on she was an unstoppable force, dodging spells then dispensing some of her own watching as Aurors left and right dropped to the ground, unharmed yet incapacitated. She vaulted over stone walls and when cunning was required over brute force, she was impossible to see or hear until it was too late.

She was now in the middle of the pitch and making excellent time. Then the wind shifted again and she froze. Draco's scent. Too concentrated.

Her eyes frantically scanned until she saw him, his arms and legs tied tightly as an Auror stood over him with a too smug look on his face at the very end of the course. Her eyes narrowed and she growled as she watched Draco contort and twist his body as he attempted to free himself. If the expression on his face was anything to go by, he was not a knowledgeable participant.

Her wings angrily flapped against her back, desperately pushing against the tight tactical shirt she had chosen to wear, their inability to move irritated her further. She attempted to calm herself as she took in her surroundings, no nearby heartbeats or scents of magic. Draco was miffed but unharmed. She was almost there all she had to do was….

Then she watched as the Auror roughly kicked Draco onto his back, placing one boot on his chest as his mouth formed the words _Aquamenti._

Water shot from the tip of his wand directly into Draco's face. No matter where he turned he couldn't escape the torrent, she could hear him gagging as he fruitlessly attempted to struggle.

The Auror laughed, his wand hand steady.

Time stopped as blood red coated her vision. The sound of material ripping violently as newly freed wings whipped against shoulder blades. Then the unholy roar of fury that shook the ground beneath her.

She sprinted towards them, her claws deadly sharp and her fangs lengthened to where she could taste her own blood along her bottom lip.

More spells were randomly shot at her as she pushed her body to go as fast as it could. She cared not for who was delivering the blows, just jumped or rolled away from them and continued on.

Almost there.

The Auror laughed again as Draco coughed and sputtered, she could hear the water in his lungs as he struggled. She had heard his heartbeat race when she had roared as his scent thickened with adrenaline. The Auror's heartbeat however was steady as he practically stood on top of her mate.

Roaring again she leaped the last few feet landing solidly on her feet and hissed at the unknown wizard.

Her chest rumbled with her voice deepened growl, the Auror never faltered.

"Make all the noise you like, you can't touch me."

She cocked her head at him angrily flashing her fangs, her mind ever present on the fact that her mate was in distress, agitating her further when she was so close.

"Yeah, that's right. You can't lay a finger on me or this whole thing goes down in flames. So go ahead, try to stop me."

Through her rage filled haze she recalled that voice. Carver, a miniscule shit of a wizard who repeatedly attempted to get assigned to the Ravens, how he even got to become an Auror she had no idea. There was a suspicion there was money involved to get him even the minor position he held. His greasy black hair was flattened against his head, that sarcastic mouth too big for his face and flat brown eyes that blazed hatred and superiority at her.

Lunging for Draco she covered her body with his, safely blocking him from the ensuing onslaught Carver attempted to rain down on them. She turned rolled his body to the side, crouching over him and covering his head as he continued to cough and gag.

When his coughing fit subsided she looked up and glared at Carver, a constant growl paired with a deadly snapping of teeth.

"Look at you, the mighty Granger and Malfoy, covered in mud and down in the dirt where you belong."

She took satisfaction that when she adjusted her stance, he flinched back a step. "If you are as smart as you claim to be, you will cease immediately."

He scoffed, "I was ordered to capture Malfoy, which was pathetically easy as he was oh so distracted watching his new lap pet play. Then I got to thinking, we are going through all this trouble just so little Hermione Granger, a worthless muggle born with too much knowledge, a woman, can stay on with her precious team."

His face turned red as he began to yell. "You are nothing! Came from nothing! Just because you are Harry Potter's sidekick you think you are better than anyone else?"

He pointed his wand at her, "Let's find out."

"_Sectumsempra!" _His wand came down in a violent arc and Hermione felt searing heat down her side, she barely winced. Another flick and a gash across her cheek causing blood to soak into her hair and down her neck. She could not move, if she moved then Draco could possible get caught in the swing.

Draco stirred when a particularly deep gash across her back made her gasp in pain.

"H-Hermione?" He coughed again.

"Ssh. Don't move." She gritted her teeth against the pain of another cut down her side. She was torn between wanting to rip the jealous bastard limb from limb yet making sure her mate was ok.

Draco took in a deep breath, finally free of water and wrinkled his nose at the iron tang in the air. Only one thing carried that kind of smell.

"Hermione are you hurt?" He tried to move so he could see but she had him pinned down. She flinched against him and he heard Carver, the arrogant Auror that didn't deserve to be yelling a curse at her.

Then what sounded like an explosion and several angry male voices broke through the silence. Most recognizably Ron and Harry's. Sounds of a struggle, then the whoosh of someone's air leaving them as they hit the ground.

"Make one move you little shit and I'll permanently turn you into the ugliest woman and drop you in Muggle New York City naked. If I don't kill you first." That was definitely Ron.

"Oh Merlin, Ron! Get over here!" Hemione's weight was lifted off Draco as he rolled onto his back, staring at the blue sky that kept turning and turning.

"Hermione! Don't close your eyes!" Harry yelled then turned his head screaming for a Healer.

The world immediately righted itself as he shot up from the ground to see where Hermione lay, covered in blood and deep gashes. He and Harry locked eyes, both of them knew exactly what had been done.

Crawling over to where she lay so still. He looked her over, large gashes to her side, legs, and face. Those could be healed and with hopefully minimal scarring. It was the large on one her back from shoulder to hip that worried him most.

Hermione moaned the coughed. Blood coming from her mouth and…her back?

"That bastard! He got her wing!" Those beautiful delicate wings that he had just admired two nights previous, one lay limply against her side, almost nearly severed in two straight down the middle. He had felt her heartbeat in those delicate blue lines. As he watched the intensity of the blood flow, the realization made him frantic.

"He's hit an artery, Harry! I can't apparate with her in this condition. You have to get Healer Richards. We don't have much time."

He didn't register Harry's departing pop as he laid Hermione's head in his lap and reached down to pinch the small artery closed. Hermione bucked and hissed in pain.

As he got another good look at her injuries and he was transported back into that bathroom, as pain he had never before experienced made him scream as a disbelieving Harry looked down at him. Harry had since apologized for that day over and over and after some time, he had forgiven him. There was still a rather nasty scar across his chest, a souvenir from the incident which always made Harry pale when he saw it.

He stroked her forehead with his other hand, fingertips gently brushing against her cooling skin. "I know it hurts darling, just a bit longer."

Her breaths were too quick and shallow, her mouth open, fangs longer than he had ever seen them before. She reminded him of a lion chuffing in the African heat, her black eyes wet with pain.

Two pops heralded Harry and Healer Richards who immediately went to work, his primary concern also being her wing and healing it perfectly so that they could apparate her to the hospital. She flinched again as her flesh started to knit back together.

When it was safe to move her, he delicately held her so his arms did not press into her wings. As he easily stood with her slight weight, his head turned as he watched Ron brutally kick someone back to the ground.

Carver.

Turning back to Harry he silently handed her over to him, with a glare that was met with a solemn nod. Take care of her. Understood. They apparated away.

Standing, he righted his clothing which was stained red in several places and pocketed Hermione's wand. Walking the few steps towards where Ron kept his boot in Carver's spine while berating the Minister.

"This should have never have been able to get this far. How could you just stand there and watch!"

The Minister held his ground, "I understand you're upset because she's your team mate Mr. Weasley, however –"

"Hermione is not my team mate, she's my sister and my best friend. I could understand kidnapping Malfoy to a degree because he's her weakness, but damn you for letting this wanker," He dug his heel into Carver's spine until he gasped . "Anywhere near her with a spell like that. You tortured two of our best for what purpose?"

Draco crossed his arms over his chest, his lungs screaming at him for feeling constricted, but he kept his cool and calm demeanor on tight, "Yes, I'd like to know that as well Minister."

Three heads turned to look in his direction. The Minister paled at the patented Malfoy seemingly disinterested glare, he was right to do so, it caused many an unfortunate demise. "Mr. Malfoy-"

His hand sliced through the air, cutting off the sniveling remark that was about to be made. "I can also agree that the original method to test Hermione's fortitude was sound. Were these your exact orders he carried out?"

The Minster violently shook his head. "No, he was to capture and detain you. No more."

He nodded, "Thank you sir, that's all I needed to know."

Giving Ron a loaded look, the red head kicked the downed Auror before stepping away. Draco stalked over, picked him up by his robes and held the small man by the scruff of his neck and gave him a violent shake.

"You dare harm a woman who is worth more than ten of you? All because of your worthless pride?"

Carver sneered then spat on the ground by Draco's shoe. "I can do anything I like with your whore."

Draco suddenly saw his own fist coming up to meet Carver's face, the force of the blow snapping his head violently to the side. Adjusting his grip, he wrapped his long fingers around his neck and squeezed.

Carver made a squalling noise as his face turned interesting shade of red, then purple, then a hint of blue….

A hand clamped down on his shoulder, "Draco. Let me him go, we have to check on Hermione."

He released his grasp and Carver fell to a tangle of arms and legs on the ground. Raising an eyebrow he glared again at the Minister, "I expect you will take care of this?"

He waited only long enough for the Minister's quiet agreement before he apparated away.

* * *

**Teenie authors note: **

**As always, thanks a billion for your patience, I know it can be aggravating when dealing with WIP stories you enjoy and the author having to deal with that damned real life we all come to fan fiction to avoid in the first place. **

**But hey, while I'm baking my minion, hopefully my brain demon will come up with some more chapters. **

**Toodle-oo!**

**~Ash**


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